Book 9 - Seven Steps To Redemption
by GailDunn2
Summary: WARNING: ADULT CONTENT AND ADULT SITUATIONS. The quest for the cure begins. But how high is the price for the ingredients that are required to make Castiel well again? Can Gail, Sam and Dean help him? Can he help himself? And what is Crowley's agenda?


BOOK 9 - SEVEN STEPS TO REDEMPTION

Chapter 1 - Fearless Moral Inventory

They walked single file down the corridor towards Lucifer's cage. Gail had passed through the door easily this time, and she was now striding behind Crowley, having nearly caught up to him. Castiel had wanted to hold her hand, but she was walking too quickly, and he had to hurry to catch up.

Gail knew what Cas was looking for. He was looking for her comfort, but she didn't want to give it right now. She couldn't bring herself to do it. They couldn't walk in there looking like frightened children, or Metatron and especially Lucifer would make a buffet out of them. She was still scared, but she now had the fresh dose of Crowley's blood working its way through her veins, and as it mixed with that which she had in there already, she was trying to ride the wave. She'd felt a surge of confidence in Crowley's office, but she was trying to use the fear she now felt to motivate her. She'd read somewhere that everything you wanted was on the other side of fear. Where had she read that? Probably one of those stupid motivational posters on Facebook, or something. The ones that people posted, re-posted, and "Liked", but that no one really believed. What a load of crap people sold themselves, just so they could get out of bed every morning. She'd bet that even Metatron and Lucifer would agree with that.

If she was going to try to persuade them to give her what she needed, she would have to think like them. What would motivate them? She thought back to the Bible story about Lucifer, who had once been an Angel at God's right hand. But he had not been happy to serve God, he'd wanted to BE God, and that had sealed his doom. There was a lot of that going around, Gail thought wryly. Xavier had wanted to be God so badly that he had schemed and lied and put Cas to death to achieve his goal, and where had it gotten him? Busted down to human, and now he was here in Hell. Cas had fallen prey to the ultimate power, too, when he had declared himself to be God and dispatched Raphael to the Netherworld. He, at least, had seemed to learn from that experience; when he had subsequently been God for a day, he had borne the power well, with only his murder of Lanister to mar the good he had done that day. And Metatron had also wanted to be God, and he had caused the deaths of countless Angels because of it. The only one who seemed to be unaffected by the siren song of power was the current God, Bobby, who seemed almost reluctant to be sitting in the Office. It was all in the personality of the individual, she supposed. Bobby was at heart a humble man, so he was a humble God. But what had made Lucifer so certain that he should be God? Was he just that conceited, or had he suffered from insecurity, like Castiel, and was overcompensating? He liked to delve into people's psyches; was it possible to peek into his?

She thought she understood Metatron, though. He had been at God's feet while Lucifer, Crowley and Castiel had been by His side, and Metatron had felt put down and belittled because of that. If the Originals were a clique, Metatron would have been the nerd, the geek. He was a bookworm who fancied himself an intellectual, but he was a poseur. He'd even chosen a vessel to occupy that was smaller and nerdier-looking than the others', as if to acknowledge his role in the scheme of things. Those who hated Metatron, and there were many, thought of Metatron as God's lapdog. And after a while, he had begun to feel like that, too. All he did was sit there and transcribe God's words, whenever God chose to let some pearls of wisdom drop from his lips, and Metatron had grown frustrated. Any time he had worked up the courage to ask God a question about what He was saying, or to try to add a couple of his own thoughts, God would just stare at him, and then Metatron would shut his mouth. God didn't want to hear Metatron's two cents. He didn't even want to converse with Metatron; He just wanted His Scribe to sit there and obey. And Metatron had started to feel great resentment about that. He had a fine mind, given to him by the same God who apparently didn't want him ever to use it. So, what was the point of his existence, anyway? To just sit there and be God's slave all his life? If Metatron were in the position of power, he would never treat anyone that way. Though he was smarter than everyone else, in his humble opinion, Metatron would never lord that fact over anyone. Pun definitely intended. Damn, he was good, he would think. Too bad no one knew, or seemed to care.

So when Metatron had seen his opportunity to get out from under God's thumb, he had taken it. He had lofty goals and a great hunger to achieve them, and he didn't really care what he had to do to make them happen.

Boy, could Gail relate to this last thought. Even though she and Metatron were miles apart in personality, she could put herself in his headspace pretty easily. She'd been a bookworm since childhood, a solitary figure for most of her life. And as a woman, she had felt belittled and discounted by men at times, both in her human existence, and even now. To their credit, the men she was around seemed to treat her as an equal for the most part, but there were still cold pockets in the warmth. Look at the way Xavier and the board had treated her when Castiel had had the nerve to bring her into the boardroom. They couldn't even refer to her by her name when she had been there. And Xavier had called her a whore. Why hadn't he called Cas a similar name? Cas had had the same amount of sex as she'd had, after all. And now that she thought about it, WAS there even a derogatory term for a male with the same negative connotation? Yeah, she thought not.

So Gail could intellectually understand how belittled and sublimated Metatron must have felt. Could she appeal to him on that level?

She was still lost in these thoughts as they arrived. Metatron and Lucifer were sitting the same way as they'd been when she and Dean had been here, at opposite sides of the cage. They jumped up excitedly when their visitors approached. Gail guessed they'd be pretty bored by now, sick of each other's company. They were both sickening individuals, after all.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" Lucifer said with a broad grin.

Castiel's hand crept toward Gail's and now she let him take it, even though she wished he wouldn't. He was just providing fodder for Lucifer's cannon. But she knew that he needed the comfort.

"Brother Castiel," Lucifer cooed. "With the lovely Gail. And you're holding hands. How sweet. You're both showing remarkable restraint, considering the way you normally behave with each other these days."

Gail wondered once again how he knew what he seemed to know. Or was he just more than keenly perceptive?

Castiel paled, and his lips were pursed. But Lucifer was just getting started. "Not that I can blame you, Castiel. After all those centuries of being a virgin, I imagine you have a lot of making up to do. You must have Googled how to do some of those things, though. I don't know how anyone as infernally holy as you used to be would have even thought of some of the positions you've had her in."

"Oh, like you would know anything about that," Gail blurted out sarcastically.

The men all looked at her, but she didn't care. She was mad now.

"Why, whatever do you mean, Gail?" Lucifer said casually. But had she seen his smile slip a little? "I know plenty, I can assure you."

"Well then, you must have access to Google, too," she retorted. "Last I heard, you were an Angel at the time of Creation, and then you were cast down here and put in this cage. What kind of real-world experience would you have in that area? Have you heard of that movie about being a 40-year-old virgin? How about a four-million-year-old virgin? Jealous much?"

Crowley was smirking. Not bad. He should have given her a pint, or a quart, of his blood.

Lucifer was angry, but he wasn't about to show it. So she thought that it was going to be that easy, did she? He smiled even wider. "So you think I'm a virgin, do you? Well, why don't you ask Sam and Bobby about that?"

Gail's heart skipped a beat, but she reminded herself of what they all knew: Demons lie.

"You're awfully quiet, Crowley," Metatron piped up. "Don't you want to weigh in on this?"

"Not particularly," Crowley said, his smile fading. "What do I care who's doing what to whom? Or not," he couldn't resist adding, looking at Lucifer.

"I should think it would matter to you a great deal what Castiel is doing to Gail," Metatron said slyly, "as you clearly want her for yourself."

Crowley glared at Metatron, but said nothing.

"Awww, Crowley's got a crush on his Brother's girl," Lucifer said, affecting a pout. "Well, you should just kill him and take her, then. It's not as if you don't have prior experience in that area. But perhaps you're not capable of doing anything like that any more. I hear you've gone soft." He smirked. "Maybe that's why she doesn't want you. One look at her and I know she likes it hard."

"Oh, blah blah blah," Gail said, annoyed. "You sure like to hear yourself talk, don't you?"

Lucifer regarded her gleefully, but he pretended to be offended. "What?" he said innocently. "Hey, I'm all for Master/Slave relationships. You act all modern and feminist, but when you get into the bedroom, it's a different story, isn't it? Do you ever call him Daddy? Ask him to hit you, maybe?"

God, he was disgusting. But then, somewhat unexpectedly, Lucifer turned on Metatron. "But then, we all have our particular perversions, don't we, roomie? I know what you were really looking up on your laptop in that motel room. Remember, I'm in your head now. Don't you know that child pornography is not only immoral, it's illegal?" Lucifer turned to Castiel then. "Of course, we all know that religions base morality on obedience, which is basically voluntary slavery. Our Father had you in that bondage all your life, didn't He? As He did with our other Brother here." He jerked his head at Metatron. "No wonder you both went hog wild when you were finally able to break free."

"Our Father loved me," Castiel shot back. "I was no slave."

"Oh, yeah?" Lucifer said nastily. "That's why you were so happy to reject the Angel in you. Because you were satisfied with all the suffering and self-sacrifice? The self-denial? Right. Admit it; you've had more pleasure as a Demon than you ever had as an Angel."

"As if you're having so much fun, locked up there with the likes of him." Crowley's voice, from out of the blue. He'd felt a sudden urge to speak up and defend Castiel. He had no idea why. But at least Castiel had had integrity as an Angel, and the courage of his convictions. What had Lucifer ever done? Whined and pouted in Heaven, then come down here to be nothing but a burden, an annoyance. He was supposed to be the symbol of ultimate evil, but what had he ever contributed? Crowley had built the Kingdom of Hell with his bare hands, and Lucifer was nothing but a squatter here.

Gail smiled. It had been a small gesture, but she appreciated him stepping in on Castiel's behalf.

"Me? I'm having the time of my life," Lucifer said airily. But inwardly, he was seething. He was frustrated to still be locked up here. Same thing, day in and day out, with only Metatron's disgusting face to look at. Crowley had better hope Lucifer never got out of here.

"Sure you are," Metatron retorted. He was still stinging over what Lucifer had said about the websites he had occasionally perused. It had only been curiosity. That was all. "Don't forget, I'm in your head the same way as you are in mine. You're the most frustrated individual I've ever had the misfortune to meet. In many different ways," he smiled, thinking of what Gail had said. He had to hand it to her; she had zinged Lucifer pretty good with that one.

So far, the only one he'd really gotten to was Castiel, so Lucifer looked at him now. "You'd better hold onto her hand all the time from now on," Lucifer said with a nasty smile on his face. "Considering the things she gets up to when you're away from her."

Cas tensed. "What do you mean?"

Gail squeezed his hand in warning. They knew what Lucifer was all about, and Cas was just inviting trouble now.

"See for yourself," Lucifer said. He waved his hand at the wall, projecting an image there. Cas could see a figure lying in bed at the bunker. Looking closer, he could see that it was Dean.

Dean's bedroom door opened and Gail slipped in.

"I got here as soon as I could," she told Dean. "I had to wait until he went to Hell."

Dean smiled. "That's OK. You're here now. Come here."

Gail moved to the bed, and Dean grabbed her, pulling her down on top of him. Gail laughed. "I missed you so much," she said.

Dean rolled her over on her back, kissing her. She gave him her tongue, and Dean slipped his hands under her top as she caressed his bare chest. He pulled her top off and she touched him, but he moved away from her hand, smiling. "You first," Dean said. He pulled off her pants and moved down her body, kissing and licking her gently, just the way she liked. No pain, and no blood. Dean didn't believe in that sort of thing.

When he got down to her thighs, Gail opened her legs willingly for him, and Dean used his tongue to make her happy. But he didn't ask her if she loved him, or threaten to stop if she didn't say it. He was just happy to make love to her. And soon she was saying it gladly, calling out Dean's name, crying out happily. And when he'd made sure she was satisfied, Dean pulled off his shorts and entered her, but he moved slowly and lovingly,taking his time, making sure both of them were achieving maximum pleasure. She was caressing his arms, feeling the muscles there, wondering how a guy that was so strong could be so tender. Gail urged him to go faster, and he held out as long as he could, but then Dean put his hands underneath her and brought her to him, and he kissed her as he finished. "I love you, Gail," he said, stroking her hair.

"I love you too, Dean," she said, touching his face.

He laid her down beside him then, and Gail put her head on his chest. Dean's arms were around her, and she felt safe and warm for the moment, free of all the pain.

"You've got to leave him, Gail," Dean said softly. "Move in here. I'll take care of you, I promise. He'll never have a chance to hurt you again."

She smiled. He was so sweet. "As soon as he's cured, I will," she said. She lifted her head up to look at him. He kissed her nose, making her laugh again. But then her face turned serious. "I owe him, Dean. But I'm only staying out of obligation now. As soon as my debt is paid, I'll move in here. And in here, if you want," she said mischeviously, gesturing to the bed.

Dean smiled. He wanted that, too. Tough luck for Cas, but he had treated Gail too badly for too long. Dean could make her feel just as happy without hurting her, and he planned on doing that for a long, long time.

Cas stared in horror at the scene. So that was how Dean had known about the marks on her body! How could she do this to him? How could Dean? Well, Dean, he could actually see it from. Dean had always been promiscuous. But Dean was saying he loved Gail, and she was saying she loved Dean, and she was only staying with Cas out of obligation now. That lying, cheating...

"It's a lie, Cas," Gail said, putting her hand on his arm. Lucifer had projected his phony images on the wall for everyone to see, of course. Everyone liked a little porn, didn't they? Although compared to what most of them in this room were into, it had definitely been soft-core. Almost romance novel stuff. But Lucifer enjoyed looking at the beauty of the naked form, whether it be male or female, and he enjoyed studying their faces when they were in the throes of ecstasy. He wondered what that was like. Gail had been quite right; Lucifer was a virgin, much to his regret. He had never interfered with Sam or Bobby in that manner; he'd just said that to mess with her head. Hey, he was supposed to be the epitome of evil, wasn't he? He had a rep to maintain. And he'd thought that Metatron might be entertained too, though they were both way too old for the likes of him, of course. Metatron had no secrets from Lucifer; not any more. And Crowley? He was still a mystery, unfortunately. Perhaps he was into animals, or sock puppets. Who the hell knew? Though it was interesting, what Metatron had said about Crowley wanting Gail for himself. Maybe that was true; he'd certainly brought her here enough. He'd also stepped in on her behalf the last time she had been here. And she'd been here with Dean, hadn't she? Lucifer didn't believe for a minute that there was anything going on between her and Dean. He could just as easily picked Sam, or Chuck, or even Bobby, to be her partner in his little fiction. But he'd picked Dean because he suspected that was who it would hurt Castiel the most to see her with.

And he'd been right. Cas was crushed, as well as angry. "How could you?" he asked Gail quietly.

"Don't believe it," she pleaded with him. "It's a lie. That never happened. That could never happen."

"Why not?" he retorted. "I left you alone to come here, didn't I?"

She was starting to get angry now, too, even though she knew that had been the point of Lucifer's little parlour trick. "And that's your first thought? That I had the opportunity, so that means I must have done it? Don't you trust me at all?"

"Yes, I trust you," he said slowly. "It's him I don't trust."

She laughed derisively. "That's crap, Cas. I was a very willing participant in that little piece of fiction. And if you're buying it, that means you don't trust me, either. So what are we even doing here, then? Are you really that insecure? And if so, why? Have I ever given you any reason - " She couldn't even finish the sentence. Tears sprang to her eyes. "I've told you I love you every day, all the time, and look where I am right now. I've done all this for you, and if you think I would just - " And that was it; she was crying now. Damn Lucifer. She wished Bobby would let her in there, just for a moment, so she could slap that smirk right off his face. And she should slap Cas too, while she was at it, if he was so willing to believe that about her. And about Dean, too. None of them in this room right now had many morals left, but morality was kind of like art; you had to draw a line someplace. She may be depraved now, but at least she was monogamous.

Lucifer was smirking, and Crowley was inexplicably angry again. He'd certainly given Castiel and Gail enough grief himself, but what Lucifer had just done was below the belt.

"If you need proof that's a lie, which you shouldn't," Crowley said to Castiel pointedly, "I can supply it."

Cas and Gail looked at him, startled.

"As Lucifer has way too much time on his hands, he puts quite a lot of detail into his little fictions," Crowley continued. "The clock radio on the nightstand had a date on it. That was the date you were here, Castiel, paying a visit to many of our unfortunate residents."

"Well, then, that just proves it," Lucifer sneered. "She said she had to wait until he went to Hell."

"True, but they have the world's best alibi," Crowley said to him. "At the time that their little rendezvous supposedly took place, I was in the bunker myself, killing Dean, and then he and Gail were here, visiting with the two of you."

Cas's eyes widened. He remembered. Crowley was right. He looked at Gail. "I'm so sorry," he said to her. He felt sick to his stomach. Even if there had been no proof, how could he have ever thought that about her? And everything she had said was right. He was insecure, though she'd never given him any reason to be. He hated himself so much now that his mind had had to rationalize, making him believe that she was only staying with him out of a sense of obligation.

He put his arms around Gail and she let him hold her, but she was still angry. They'd be talking about this when they got out of here. If he didn't trust her any more, she was done.

Crowley cleared his throat. "Maybe we should change the subject."

Gail got it. He wanted her to get to the reason they'd come here. And it was probably a good idea, before things got even more out of hand. But she still had no idea how she was supposed to get the stuff out of them.

She disengaged herself from Castiel's arms and walked over to where Metatron stood. "Rowena gave me the counter-spell," she said, watching for his reaction.

Metatron's jaw dropped. "She did?"

"Yes," Gail said, then she amended, "well, the first ingredient, anyway. We have to remove the bonding agent first. To do that, I need a breath of essence from all five of us."

Metatron was surprised. Why on earth would Rowena help Gail? But even if she had, why would Gail think that HE would ever help her?

"I can see you're reluctant," Gail said sarcastically. "So I thought I'd propose a game. A battle of wits, I guess."

Interesting, Metatron thought. He did like games. And a battle of wits sounded great to him. He had been bored here, and Lucifer wasn't exactly an intellectual giant.

"What did you have in mind?" he asked her, intrigued.

"Just what I said," Gail replied, pleased to see he hadn't just dismissed her idea out of hand. "A battle of wits. You pose us a riddle, we pose you one. If we both solve them, we move to the second category, which will be Literature. You can set any parameters you like."

Metatron broke into a wide smile. Now she was talking his language. This could be fun.

"You're on," he said. "If you win, I'll give you my breath. But what if you lose? What do I get?"

Gail cringed inwardly. Oh, God. "Name it," she said.

Crowley looked at her sharply. She couldn't just go saying something like that. His blood may have given her the confidence, but this was his Kingdom. Maybe because of their connection, or maybe because she knew he would feel that way, she looked at him, trying to convey a non-verbal message. She'd gotten Metatron to agree to at least play the game, hadn't she? If she lost, she'd have to deal with the consequences. Let's face it, she tried to tell him; if I lose, I'm screwed anyway, right?

Castiel was alarmed. What was she saying? She'd gotten Metatron to agree, but what if they lost? He felt sick again. She was risking everything for him, and he hadn't given her a damn thing, not even his trust.

Lucifer was ecstatic. If she managed to beat Metatron, she'd be coming to him next. And he knew just what kind of game he wanted to play. He grinned.

"Riddle me this," Metatron said to Gail and Castiel. She had taken Cas by the hand, bringing him to stand with her in front of Metatron, as Crowley and Lucifer stood glaring at each other.

Metatron continued: "What is greater than God, more evil than the Devil, the poor have it, the rich need it, and if you eat it, you'll die?"

Cas thought about that for a moment. He was sure he'd heard that one before. It seemed like the answer was dancing on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn't come up with it. His mind had been distracted by Lucifer's little trick, and he now felt sick with guilt over having doubted both Gail and Dean. They would never do anything like that. He was the monster, not them. He'd come in here knowing that Lucifer liked to play with people's heads, and he had provided such an easy target. He had to get it together.

But Gail scoffed. "Nothing," she said. Cas looked at her for a moment, and then he realized she was giving Metatron the answer. The answer to the riddle was: Nothing.

Metatron shrugged. He'd tossed her a nice, big softball. He hadn't wanted the game to be over so soon. "So you know that one," he said to her.

Gail rolled her eyes. "Everyone knows that one," she told him. She knew he'd given her an easy one, and she knew why.

"Do you have one for me, then?" he asked her.

Gail had thought about it, and the only one she knew that might possibly trip him up was: "A man and his son are in a terrible car accident and are rushed to the hospital in critical condition. The doctor looks at the boy and exclaims, 'I can't operate on this boy; he's my son!' How could this be?"

Gail finished her recitation of the riddle and looked at Metatron's face. Poseur or not, she knew he was a smart individual, and you couldn't argue with the fact that he was well-read. But she knew he was a misogynist, as she was discovering that many old-school beings were. Maybe he wouldn't be able to come up with the answer to this common riddle.

He frowned. "Let me think about that for a minute. How many guesses do I get?"

"Just the one," Crowley snapped. "We may be eternal beings, but I don't want to stand here all bloody night."

"Fine," Metatron said to him, rolling his eyes. The King was no fun at all. He began to pace back and forth, tapping his chin with one finger. "Hmmm. Let me see. Was he the boy's stepfather, maybe?" he mused aloud. "No, that can't be it." He turned back to Gail and said, "I'm impressed. Good one for the opening round."

She felt hope. Maybe he didn't know the answer.

"Let's go, Metatron," Crowley prompted. "Do you know it, or not?"

"Sorry, my dear, but it just so happens I do," Metatron told her, affecting a regretful expression. "The doctor was the boy's mother."

Damn. She'd been hoping. Oh well, you couldn't win them all. Misogynist or not, Metatron had been around since Creation, after all. He'd probably heard that one at some point.

"OK, on to Round Two, then," Metatron said cheerfully. "You said I could set any parameters I like. How about if I come up with an adage, and you come up with a contradictory one for the same saying? Then we'll switch. Let's call it the Rapid-Fire Round. I did so love the Game Show Network when I was on Earth." He looked at Crowley. "You'll like this. If either of us can't come up with a response in 20 seconds, the other wins." He looked back at Gail and Cas. "Best out of five. I'll start."

"Why do you get to start?" Cas asked.

Metatron smiled. "She said I could make the rules. Hey, it's up to you. We can quit, if you want. But, no game, no - " He exhaled, creating a puff of pink smoke. How Gail wished she could have been in there with the vial in her hand. Then again, maybe not. No way she would ever get out of there alive.

"Ready?" Metatron said. "Here's the first one: 'Look before you leap'."

"'He who hesitates is lost'," Cas said immediately. Gail looked at him, impressed. He smiled at her, and she could see the ghost of who he had been in his face for a moment. She loved that guy. He was who she was here for.

That boosted her confidence, so she looked at Metatron and said, "'Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me'." She couldn't resist adding, "But a blade at a certain convention in Sin City might." A part of her was still really pissed at Metatron for that. She and Cas had been robbed of their last night in Vegas with Sam and Dean and with each other because of that little stunt of Metatron's.

Metatron looked at her, smiling. "Yeah. Sorry/not sorry."

"I didn't think it was sticks and stones that were breaking your bones lately," Lucifer chipped in. "Or has he not gotten around to that, yet?"

Castiel gave him a sharp look, but Gail put her hand on his face and turned it back towards her. "Focus," she said softly. What Lucifer had said had hurt her too, but he was just screwing with them, and the stakes of this game were too high for them to lose their concentration.

"One of my particular favourites," Metatron replied. "'The pen is mightier than the sword'."

"I haven't ever found that to be the case," Cas quipped, and Gail laughed. The sound of her laughter echoed down the corridor and bounced back to them. For an instant, Crowley looked startled, then he smiled at Gail. This was the most unlikely place for laughter there could ever be, and it had been kind of good to hear it for a moment. Even if she had been looking lovingly at his Brother when she had done it. He'd thought their relationship might be fractured beyond repair by now, but maybe there was still a bit of foundation left.

"'Too many cooks spoil the broth'," Metatron said.

Gail thought a moment, then said, "'Many hands make light work'." Then she shot back hers immediately: "'If you want something, you have to work for it'." Oh boy, wasn't that the truth.

Metatron smiled, exhaling another little puff of pink breath. "'If it's meant to be, it'll happen'."

"Hey, stop wasting that stuff. Keep some for when we win," Gail said, smiling.

But Castiel frowned. "Wait. That's been 4. If we ask him the next, that'll be 5." He glared at Metatron. "You rigged the rules in your favour. How can we possibly win, then?"

"Maybe you weren't meant to win, Castiel," Metatron snapped back. "Maybe, for once in your golden, exalted existence, you will lose."

"For once?!" Cas yelled. He was astonished. Was that what Metatron really thought? "What do you mean? I'm the biggest loser since Creation! Well, except for you, maybe," he said to Lucifer with a brief grin, and Gail cheered inwardly. "Our own Father has let me die, even encouraged my death, so many times now that I've lost count! Test after test, punishment after punishment. Heartache after heartache. You think it's so great being me? Well, look at me now!" He lifted Gail's top to a decent level, just enough for them all to see. And what could be seen was bad enough. "Look at what I've done. God sent her to me, and instead of cherishing her, I've done that to her. And the rest of her is worse. I did that," he finished quietly.

Silence hung over the room as Castiel fought back the tears. He didn't want to cry here, not in front of these men. When he was cured, he'd be crying plenty, but to his friends, and to Gail. These guys weren't worth sharing his emotions with, because they would never understand. None of them had ever loved anyone else in their entire miserable existences. Cas had been given people to love, and who loved him, and the feeling was so foreign to him that he kept pushing them away. These men had all been God's Elite, the Originals, and look at how screwed up they all were. Had God just been trying to teach them all an elaborate lesson? Well, if this was the exam, they had all failed spectacularly. Even Gail had, though it was his fault she'd ever had to sit this particular exam in the first place. Still, God had made her an Original for a reason, hadn't He? At the time, Castiel had been delighted, thinking that was a reward of sorts. But now he saw it as a curse. Originals, indeed. Just look at all of them. What the hell was their Father trying to prove?

But Metatron was smiling. Actually, he guessed he could kind of see Castiel's point. Cas's life did really suck now. The only one whose life sucked worse was Gail's, having to be on the receiving end of those marks. Ouch.

Lucifer was happy. He'd suspected as much. He was blissfully picturing Castiel on top of Gail, driving himself into her. Biting her, drawing blood, then sucking it off her body hungrily. Lucifer was getting turned on. If he hadn't pissed Bobby off so much, Lucifer would beg Bobby to put Gail in here. Man. If she stood for that kind of treatment from his Brother, the things Lucifer could do to her...and she had obviously had experience with men who had been abstinent for long periods of time. Castiel had been a virgin, too, until she had gotten a hold of him. Wow. He had to hand it to her. She must be good, if Castiel was still sticking with her. Of course, if she let him do anything he wanted to her, why wouldn't he keep her around? But Lucifer had always imagined himself to be more of an orgy man. Who didn't like a little variety? Pity he'd never had the chance to find out. Yet.

And look at Crowley, looking at her, and looking at his Brother with hate in his eyes. Everybody knew the story of Cain and Abel, of course, just like everybody supposedly knew the story of Lucifer and his fall. But there were rich multi-layers to each story that could be savoured, like a parfait. Now Lucifer thought he understood why Crowley was helping Gail so much. He wanted what his Brother had, and Castiel was aiding and abetting Crowley's desires by abusing Gail in such a manner. But she clearly wasn't as innocent as she passed herself off to be. Lucifer had visions of her dressed in white robes in Heaven, then shrugging them off at home and laying on her stomach for Castiel. And if there was a better position for a woman, Lucifer was sure he didn't know what it would be, unless it was on her knees in front of you. Wow. Too bad there weren't any cold showers in here.

Castiel was looking sharply at Lucifer, as if he could hear everything he was thinking. And he probably could too, or at least he could probably intuit it out. Cas had once been in the same boat, and once you finally got the chance to wallow, Lucifer couldn't imagine why you wouldn't. He was with his Brother on that score. Hopefully, Castiel wouldn't let a momentary attack of conscience like the one he'd just had stop him from achieving maximum enjoyment. Lucifer couldn't really see his conscience ruling for too long, though. He was well aware of the thing that Castiel had become now.

But they had gotten off track. "I'll tell you what," Metatron said magnanimously. "Pose me your adage. If I come up with the counter in the allotted time, I'll pose you one. Then, if you get mine, we'll still be tied, and we can move on to the Bonus Round, for all the marbles."

Crowley sighed. This was taking a ridiculously long time. But at least Metatron was proposing an end, now.

"OK, that's very fair," Gail said to Metatron. "Thank you." She was appealing to the fact that he thought he was being very generous here. In truth, she'd been a little scared for a moment. When she'd said he could make the rules, she'd still thought that he would play an honest game. She should have known better, really.

But Metatron had just been screwing with them. It had been his intention to give them the chance to tie it up all along. He had a hell of an idea for the Bonus Round. It was a question they were never going to be able to answer, and he couldn't wait to see the looks on their faces when he asked it. Lucifer would be pissed off that he wouldn't get a chance to play with the couple, but too bad for him. Metatron was looking forward to seeing them slink out of here with their proverbial tails between their legs, thinking that they had had a chance to win the game.

Now Gail had thought of a good one, very apropro to her situation right now. "'Never take no for an answer'."

Metatron smiled. Good one. "'No means no'," he replied quickly. "Not that you'd know anything about that," he smirked. Why should Lucifer have all the good lines?

Gail rolled her eyes. Whatever. If he was going to try to get under her skin, he'd have to do much better than that. But he's answered so quickly, and now it was her and Cas's turn.

"'Knowledge is power'," Metatron said. He'd saved one of his favourites for last.

Gail thought about that. She liked that one, too. She and Sam had usually found that to be true, she thought with a smile. But she'd better focus now. What was the opposite of that? Oh, God, she couldn't think of it. The time was going to run out.

"'Ignorance is bliss'," Castiel said suddenly.

Gail looked at him, both impressed and relieved. She put her hand on his arm, kissing him on the cheek.

Cas looked back at her, pleased by her show of affection. He knew she'd been angry with him, and he was sure they would have to deal with that at some point, but playing this game had momentarily brought them together as a team, and he was glad of that. They were supposed to be a team, and he had lost sight of that.

"Well done, Castiel," Metatron said, giving him a mock salute. "We know many ignorant beings who think they're happy, don't we?"

Castiel looked at him curiously, and then he realized that Metatron was talking about the Angels. Metatron had always maintained that Angels were sheep, who were only looking to be told what to do. And while that had unfortunately been true in the old days, Metatron had been away for a while. Things were slowly changing now that Bobby was in charge, and now that the board had been dismantled, the attitude in Heaven had changed. It was a shame that Castiel would no longer be welcomed there; Heaven might even be a half-decent place under Bobby's reign. But Gail was right; that ship had sailed, unless she could somehow pull off the cure. He was still on the fence about whether he wanted to take it or not, though. That depended on who was in charge in his mind and his body at any given moment. Right now, he felt like he could go either way. But this little gathering was serving to remind him that being a Demon wasn't all fun and games, either. None of these other men were happy, were they? It was all very well and good to wallow in sin and debauchery, and Cas had certainly done that, but when was the last time he had ever laughed? When was the last time he had felt good about himself, or about anything he had done? The only things he'd been feeling these days were either intense physical pleasure or the deepest depths of shame, depending on which way the wind was blowing. And while he still loved Gail beyond all else and believed they should be able to have their physical relationship any way they wanted it, there was something wrong with the way he had been going about it, and he knew that. Though he now knew it had been a lie, look at the way Dean had been with her in Lucifer's vision. They'd both gotten satisfaction, but Dean had been gentle and considerate with her, and when they'd told each other they loved the other, they'd really meant it. That was the way that Cas himself used to be with Gail, and that was the way he wanted it to be again. She would love him more if he treated her like that. He didn't mind if she wanted him to be a little aggressive; he could easily do that. But there was a difference between aggression and violence. Even the Demon knew that.

"So, we're all tied up," Metatron said. "On to the Bonus Round. As I said, one question, for all the marbles. If you can answer it, I'll give you what you seek, but if not - " he gave them a sly look " - if not, Lucifer and I get a new roommate."

So that was it, Gail thought. She was sure he would have asked to get out, but they all knew that only the original God could open that cage, and He was gone. So Metatron was asking for the only thing he could get at this point: another poor soul to spend eternity here with them, to act both as a buffer between them and a new toy to play with. Or more like a victim, really. And she could just imagine who Metatron might have in mind.

Metatron had three candidates in mind, and they were all standing in front of him right now. Truthfully, he would have preferred someone else, as Metatron really didn't care for any of these three. But there was a reason, and it was a very good one: God's former Scribe knew there was a loophole. God had had a Plan B for every scenario, and He had put one in place for this cage as well. Everyone was under the impression that the only way this cage could be opened was if their Father Himself did it; and while that was a way, it wasn't the only way. The trouble was, Metatron couldn't remember what the alternative way was; it had been untold centuries since he had transcribed the Demon Tablet. Maybe if three Originals were to be present in the cage at the same time, their combined powers would be enough to break the seal.

"Did you have anyone in particular in mind?" Crowley said sardonically.

Any one of the three of them might do for his purposes, but now Metatron seriously wondered which one he would prefer. In a way, it would be richly rewarding for him to get Crowley himself. Both he and Lucifer hated Crowley. He was a condescending little bastard, and he had been cock-of-the-walk around here for too long. And Metatron still owed him some payback for the torture Crowley had subjected him to in the past. He'd almost exacted his revenge with the Demon Tablet, but he had been foiled, and these three had been a part of the group who had foiled him.

Metatron also hated Castiel, but he hadn't wanted him in the cage when Crowley had threatened Metatron with that prospect on Gail's prior visit. Castiel scared Metatron, and a tiny part of Metatron thought that he might scare Lucifer, too. For all of Lucifer's bluster, Metatron now knew Lucifer to be just as screwed up in the head as Castiel was. He covered it well with bravado and parlour tricks, and no one had ever been able to truly penetrate the facade that Lucifer presented. Metatron thought that Castiel and Lucifer might be the only two individuals since Creation who actually could drive each other crazy; that was, if Castiel didn't find a way to kill them both, first.

In many ways, Gail was the least objectionable of the three. She didn't have the legacy of hatred that he and his Brothers had developed throughout the centuries, and even though she and Metatron had killed each other in the past year, he didn't harbour any particular resentment towards her. He had actually been impressed with her courage in coming here, not just once but twice, and by the fact that she had apparently somehow persuaded Rowena to give her the counter-spell to Castiel's disease. And he'd been enjoying playing this game with her. He hadn't realized that Gail was as quick on her feet as she had shown that she was today. Maybe there was more to her than he had been giving her credit for. If he and Lucifer were to get her, and Lucifer was a really, really good boy, perhaps Metatron would let him play with her for a bit first. The poor guy was deprived, and apparently, she was depraved. It would be a perfect match. And taking her away from Castiel would be the sweet frosting on the cake. After she helped them to get out, if his supposition about the three Originals was right, they could kill her, or Lucifer could have her, if he wanted; Metatron didn't really care. The only thing that concerned him was that she was a newly minted Original, whose powers were still very much in question. Would it be enough?

So Metatron was still undecided about which one of them to request. Or demand, rather. He was supremely confident that he would win the game. Perhaps he and Lucifer would have to play a spirited game of Rock, Paper, Scissors to decide, or perhaps their three potential targets could play it. The doomed lovers could very well offer themselves up as a sacrifice for the other, but Metatron knew that Crowley would never be so self-sacrificing. If they decided on him, there would be no one stepping up to the plate on his behalf.

Crowley looked both amused and alarmed by what Metatron had been suggesting. He merely thought that Metatron and Lucifer wanted another being to play with. Crowley knew many things, but he knew nothing about God's Plan B, so he had no idea that he himself was being bandied about in Metatron's mind as a viable candidate. Therefore, he could afford to be amused. But he didn't like the way that Lucifer was looking at Gail. Yes, Crowley was the King of Hell, and yes, he and Gail had had enmity between them, but could he really just allow her to be locked up for eternity as the Devil's concubine without so much as a pang of conscience?

Crowley grabbed Gail by the arm, pulling her away from Castiel. "Do you know what you're doing, sweetheart?" he said quietly, through his teeth.

"Not really, no," she sighed. What Crowley was thinking had definitely occurred to her also, as soon as Metatron had mentioned a new roommate. She had been trying not to look Lucifer directly in the eye, but she was sure he must be salivating now.

Cas joined them. "What are you two talking about?" he asked them.

"The Yankees' chances of winning the division," Crowley said sarcastically. "What do you think we're talking about? I'm asking your girlfriend if she had any clue what the stakes are that she's playing for!"

"Of course I know what the stakes are!" Gail said angrily. "If we can answer his question, we get his essence, and then I still have to try to convince Lucifer to give me his essence somehow. And if we can't answer the question, I'm pretty sure I'll be getting a lot more from Lucifer than just his essence!"

"No, I will," Castiel said quietly. "You know I would never let you go in there, Gail."

As Gail touched Cas's face, Metatron cleared his throat. "Hello? Bonus Round? Are we on?"

"Oh, just wait a second," Gail snapped. "You're here for eternity; what's your rush?"

Now Metatron was rethinking his decision about Gail. He looked at Lucifer, communicating non-verbally: Do you really want that shrewish tongue in here with us forever? Lucifer's eyes were twinkling. He didn't care; he could think of better uses for that tongue. He was picturing her pleasuring Castiel with it now. How was his Brother so cranky, when he had that going on at home any time he wanted it? Damn Crowley for bringing the two of them in here in the first place; now that was all he seemed to be able to think of. Maybe that's what he should ask for, if they were successful with Metatron. Have everyone else turn their backs, and have her kneel down in front of the bars for a few minutes. How badly did she want the cure, anyway?

Gail turned back to Cas and Crowley. "The trouble is, I have no idea what he's going to ask. Absolutely none. How can we do this?" All her earlier confidence was gone. What the hell had she been thinking?

Metatron was watching the three of them, huddling up like they were strategizing. He was greatly amused. The two former Angels, and the King of Hell. Two Biblical Brothers, and the woman who had somehow wormed her way into their lives and both of their hearts. What a soap opera.

"Let's go," he called to them. "I'm starting to feel - " he coughed, emitting another pink puff of essence " - out of breath, here."

Gail glared at him. He was doing that on purpose, just to piss her off. What she wouldn't give to have Cas put a blade to that guy's throat so she could jam that vial down his windpipe and take all the breath she wanted. Plus, that might make him finally stop talking.

She looked at Crowley and Castiel and shrugged. There was nothing they could do about it now. She and her big mouth had committed them. But she still had a sliver of hope that they could win. Maybe Metatron's massive ego would trip him up and he would ask a question that they could actually answer.

"OK, Metatron, OK," Gail said. She took Cas's hand, and they walked back to face him. "What's your question?"

"It's not so much a question as it is a request," he said, smiling widely. "If you can name five of my Original powers, I'll give it to you." There. He knew there was no way they would get five. He'd gone easy on them to a certain extent; there were two right off the bat that Castiel knew about, because he'd seen and experienced Metatron doing them. But there was no way they would get five. God had kept them in the dark for the most part about each others' special abilities. Was it any wonder they all seemed to like games so much? Apples really didn't fall too far from the tree.

Castiel started to smile. Gail had once again proven that she was the smartest one of them all. He reached slowly into his jacket for dramatic effect. "Oh, I think we might be able to take a stab at that," he said, pulling out Metatron's blade.

Metatron's face fell. His blade! Where had they gotten it, and why on earth would they have brought it to this meeting? How could they have known that he was going to ask them that question, when he hadn't known himself until just now?

Lucifer had to grin. The stupid little troll. He could have asked them anything, any question about anything, since the origin of time. There were many questions Lucifer could think of that would have been impossible to answer. But he'd had to make it about him. In Metatron's mind, he was the most important, most special being in the universe. Well, if they could read the markings on his blade, they would have their answers. And that was just fine with Lucifer. He'd get to see Metatron humbled, having had to give up his breath of essence, and then it would be Lucifer's turn. Good times.

"I don't need to read the markings to name two of them," Castiel said. "One: You have every piece of literature and pop culture in your head, and you can impart this knowledge to any being you choose. Thanks for that, by the way," he said sardonically, tapping his own forehead. "And, two: you can escape holy oil circles. I've seen you do that."

Metatron was frowning. OK, he knew that Castiel would know about those two. But, how had he known about the markings on the blade? Metatron and Crowley had made jokes behind Castiel's back while they had been palling around here in Hell because they knew that their Brother didn't know about those.

"So, let me see," Castiel said, peering down at the blade's hilt. "What are some others?"

"Do you know what you're doing there, or are you just bluffing?" Metatron asked Castiel irritably.

Castiel smiled up at him. "Of course I know about the markings," he said casually.

Metatron was appalled. He looked at Crowley angrily. "You told me he didn't know!" he said to the King.

Crowley's eyes shifted to the right, then to the left. But then he thought about it. Why should he feel bad? It had been nice to see his Brother in the dark about something so important, but seeing Metatron get screwed over by Castiel's newfound knowledge was even sweeter.

"I taught him," he told Metatron defiantly.

"You - !" Metatron couldn't believe it. "What the hell would you go and do that for?"

"I'm the King of Hell," Crowley shot back. "I don't answer to the likes of you!"

Gail was smiling. She was enjoying this exchange. She'd been right; Metatron's ego was going to be his undoing.

"Three: You can breathe your essence into other vessels to possess them for a short time," Castiel continued, studying the markings. Metatron held up a finger, but Cas went on, "Only when you're at full Grace, though."

Damn. Metatron had been about to call him on a technicality. But Castiel was reading the marks with ease, apparently. Since when had he become so adept at the ancient language? While the rest of them had been in God's school learning it, Castiel had metaphorically been the kid in the back of the class with his feet up on his desk, daydreaming.

Gail was proud of Cas. When he didn't let his insecurities and self-doubts get in the way, he was incredibly astute. But the tribunal had not only taken his life, it had taken nearly all of his confidence in himself. That was why she hadn't really minded what she'd thought was merely a tiny bit of Demon essence inside of him; it had seemed to restore that part of him that the tribunal had taken away. But it had been said that all concerns go wrong when you try to cure evil with evil, and wasn't that the truth.

It all kept coming back to that damn tribunal. Everything that was right in their lives had started to go wrong the second they'd walked through those hearing room doors. She was glad Xavier was here in Hell. Crowley's blood was boiling inside her now, and compassion for Xavier went out the window.

"Four: Well, isn't this interesting," Castiel continued, looking at Metatron with disgust. "What a surprise. You have the ability to charm children into following you anywhere. Well, isn't that convenient. The Pied Piper of Perversion." Cas looked at Lucifer and gave him a slight nod. "I guess you do tell the truth, occasionally."

Metatron was uncomfortable now. "Just because I have the ability to do it, doesn't mean I've actually DONE it," he said to all of them. And he never actually had. He'd been trying to work up the nerve to do it the last time he was on Earth, but he hadn't been able to make himself act on the urge. He was an intellectual; surely he was better than that. He'd told himself that he just wanted to teach the young, impart his vast knowledge to them. That was all.

Gail was appalled. "Why the hell would God give someone like him an ability to do that?" she asked the room in general.

Crowley was smirking. "Our Father probably had no idea what He was doing. Or, maybe he did know. Maybe he thought he would test our Brother, to see what he would do. We all know how God likes to give exams, don't we?"

Castiel nodded. Boy, did he ever. And why was he becoming increasingly convinced that this whole thing was just another huge test?

"Finish it," Gail said to Cas. She just wanted this to be done. They still had Lucifer to deal with.

Cas bent to the blade again. "And, you can turn water into wine. How ironic. That's five." He smiled grimly at Metatron, stashing the blade back in his jacket. "Pity we all hate you, otherwise you'd be quite welcome in the bunker on that basis alone."

Gail smiled again. This Cas, she liked. It was a shame they were here, and not back at home. She'd get on board with this Cas any time.

Metatron was frowning. He hated losing, and it was doubly pathetic to have lost a game where he had been told he could basically make up whatever rules he wanted. Once again, he had outsmarted himself.

Gail gestured to Crowley with one hand, and he brought the vial out and gave it to her. She walked up to the bars of the cage. Metatron looked at her for a moment. He wasn't going to refuse now, was he? He had better not.

But after a second more, he walked towards her and put his face near the bars. "Never let it be said that I don't play fair," Metatron said glumly. He sighed, and another pink puff came out. Gail held the vial out and captured his essence in it, then capped the vial.

"Thank you," she said. He snorted at her sarcasm. But she wasn't being sarcastic; he was just the kind of being who would think that she was crowing over her victory. Metatron certainly would have, had the situation been reversed.

Metatron stalked away from the bars and sank down on the floor, his bravado gone for the moment. He had been beaten, and he had been humiliated. He needed a minute to regroup.

But now, there was Lucifer. Gail raised her eyes to him, and he moved to stand in front of her.

"So..." he said teasingly.

She continued to eye him warily. What could she possibly say to this guy? She'd been concentrating so hard on Metatron that she'd had no inspirations whatsoever on how to deal with Lucifer.

"You like to play games, do you?" Lucifer asked her happily.

Gail shrugged, still saying nothing.

"I have a game," Lucifer said. "It's called, Truth Or Truth."

Gail was puzzled. "Don't you mean Truth Or Dare?"

Lucifer scoffed. "Considering everything we've all done, I think 'Dare' would be redundant. I'm more into Truth, myself. Confession is good for the soul, after all. I'll tell you what. If you can get all five of us to confess to our most secret shame, I'll give you what you seek."

Gail looked at him, incredulous. How the hell was she supposed to do that?

"I'll start," Metatron said unexpectedly. "I'm a pedophile. There. I confess. Now you can all just shut up about it. Like any of you are any better."

Lucifer grinned. "One down, four to go." He'd known that to be a fact, of course. He and Metatron had spent a lot of time here, looking into each other's minds, trying to screw with each other. At least now, even if he were to possibly lose the game, Lucifer would have enough misery gathered from this session to keep him going for quite a while. Others' suffering was Lucifer's lifeblood.

It was Gail's turn. She was sickened by what Metatron had confessed to, and at least she wasn't as bad as that. But what she had to say was extremely humiliating to her, and she had never voiced it aloud.

"I'm so desperate to hold on to Cas's love that I let him hurt me and dominate me, and I'll keep on doing it until we get the cure or he kills me," she said miserably. "I'm not even a person any more. I'm not an Angel, and I'm not really a Demon. I don't know what or who I am," she added.

"You're desperate to hold on to my love?" Cas said in astonishment. "Since when? And, why? I've never stopped loving you. Never. Despite how I've been treating you." He frowned.

"Since when? Since always," Gail retorted. "Why DO you love me, anyway?"

"Why?" Cas echoed.

"Yes. Why?" She looked at him sadly. "I'm a nobody, a nothing. Why on earth would you love somebody like me?"

He was floored. She was turning the tables on him now. That's how he had felt from the first day they'd met. Why would she love somebody like him? He was an eternal screw-up, who had done horrible things, and he was still doing them. Look at her poor body, and the looks of hatred on Sam and Dean's faces now. It was inconceivable to him. That was really why the Demon had so easily been able to put the feelings of jealousy into his head. Why would Gail choose to be with somebody like Cas, when she could be with Sam, or Dean? Someone good, who would treat her the way she deserved to be treated? Even before he had been a Demon, he'd kept dragging her down with his problems. She had gone on trial with him, and she had been tortured by Jason because of him. He was the cause of all of her sorrow. He'd even screwed up the finest thing he had ever done in his life by driving Frank away with his jealousy and possessiveness, and demanding that Gail choose him over her brother, when she should be able to have both.

He took both of her hands in his. "Why should I love you?" he said, agonized. "Why do I breathe? I'm just sorry you fell in love with someone who has so many problems. You should be with somebody better. I'm the one who's a nothing."

Gail disengaged one of her hands and touched his face. "What a pair we are," she said quietly. "We need a trip to the self-esteem store, don't we?"

Cas smiled sadly. "You get the credit card, I'll back up the truck."

Gail threw back her head and laughed, and that eased the pain somewhat. Then she looked at Lucifer. "There. That's the both of us."

Lucifer sneered. He loved to see peoples' suffering, but this love stuff was getting sickening. He wanted to get back to the sins.

"You, I'll accept it from," Lucifer said to her. "Him," Lucifer jerked his head at Castiel, "no."

Castiel glared at him. "Why not?"

Lucifer smiled smugly. "Because yours is a shame, but it's not a secret. We all know about your self-esteem issues, Castiel. God's Golden Boy, plagued with self-doubt. Everything He's ever given you, you've destroyed. You ARE a total screw-up. But you've still done way better than anyone else in this room. So, why the lack of confidence? Maybe our Father made you that way so your head wouldn't explode with ego when you received all the blessings He gave you," he said bitterly.

"Well said," Crowley piped up. He stepped forward and turned Castiel around to face him. "You've always had the most out of all of us, and you've done nothing but squander it. At least when I had Gail, I treated her with respect and gentleness."

"Is that so?" Castiel retorted. "So much so that you tried to turn her into you. And you're still trying now. That's why you've encouraged the blood bond."

"I'm encouraging it because I don't want her to turn into YOU," Crowley snapped. "And if you claim to love her so much, you wouldn't want that, either."

"Blood bond?" Gail said, startled. "What are you two talking about?"

Crowley looked at her. "When one Original shares their blood with another, it creates an unbreakable bond. The more blood, the stronger the bond. And yes, all right, that's my bloody confession. There you go, Metatron, there's your pun." Metatron had lifted his head, interested in their conversation. He'd enjoyed seeing Lucifer and Crowley ganging up on Castiel, and castigating him like that. Metatron had always felt the same way. No wonder their Father kept screwing with Castiel. He deserved it. Metatron was smiling now, not only at Crowley's pun, but at what Crowley was saying. He was actually confessing. Who would have ever thought?

"I was done with you," Crowley said angrily, looking at Gail. "Then back you came, with your damn doe eyes and his marks all over your body, looking to me for help. I should have told you to get stuffed. But then you thanked me. And you were nice to me. No one's ever been nice to me, not once in my whole life. And maybe I've never deserved it. I don't know. But I liked the feeling. There you are. Two confessions for the price of one."

Lucifer laughed. "I'm so glad I suggested this. The King of Hell, the head Demon. Too bad I can't circulate a memo from here. You'd be unseated, then dead, within the hour."

Crowley glared at him. But he didn't regret what he'd said. It would stay in this room, and it had felt strangely liberating to get that off his chest. He really wanted her to get Lucifer's essence now. That would be the most that anyone had ever gotten out of the useless oaf.

"So, what'll it be, Castiel? Care to plumb the depths?" Lucifer said, still smiling.

Castiel's guts were churning over what Crowley had said to Gail. But, he'd been guilty of the same thing. He'd actually started it by injecting his own blood into Gail, wanting to strengthen their bond so that she wouldn't be able to bear leaving him. That was really why she'd come back after Christmas, and why she was still drawn to him now. And Crowley had been doing the same thing to her, trying to tip the scales. That was probably why Cas had gone so crazy when he'd had his vampiristic urges. By ingesting Gail's blood, he was sharing the blood bond with her in a very intimate way that Crowley would never enjoy. But even this wasn't enough for a confession; at least, it wasn't a secret, anyway, which was the thing that Lucifer seemed to require for this stupid "game". There was only one thing that would fit the bill, and it was something that Castiel had never dared to even think to himself, let alone say out loud.

"I hate God," he blurted out. "I hate our Father."

The men all smiled, but Gail frowned. She may be a Demon now, but she didn't like hearing that from him.

But the floodgates had opened now. "I hate God, I hate Heaven, and I hate Angels," Castiel said bitterly. "Where do I start? OK, how about Angels? You're right, Metatron, they're all a bunch of sheep, without any minds of their own. They all toe the company line, contributing to the mindless machine that is Heaven. Not an original idea or independent action among any of them. No wonder I left; I couldn't stand it any more. It was like being part of a big cult, complete with the overbearing leader. What makes God think He can just sit there and play games with our lives, and not have us resent Him? What does He expect? What does He want from us? I'm tired of taking his tests. He let them put me to death, and He allowed them to make Gail watch it." Cas took a moment to glare at Metatron, but he was on a roll now, getting it all out. "Who does that to their children? And Bobby said He did it on purpose. Why? Then, He waltzes into Heaven and tells us that He was conducting an experiment. An experiment! He doesn't tell us why, and He doesn't tell us what the point of it was, nothing! And I'm supposed to be OK with that, just because He's our Father? I told him I was, of course, but I'm not! Who would be? He told me He loved me, but He's a liar!"

Castiel stood there, out of breath from his soliloquy and the emotion he'd put into it. He was shocked by what he'd just said, but every word was true. That was how he really felt. He felt a little better now, though. It was good to get some of that poison out of his system, the poison he'd been holding onto which had nothing to do with Crowley's essence or Metatron's recipe.

Lucifer started to clap slowly. "Bravo, Castiel. That's the stuff. And that's why you are what you are now. Our Father drove you to it." He was happy now, sated by all the pain and bitterness that was floating around the room.

He looked at Gail. "You win. Here's my confession: My greatest shame is that I have no shame. Make of that what you will. Come here." He beckoned to Gail, and she approached the bars of the cage cautiously.

"But I do have a tiny request," Lucifer said to her. "Teeny tiny, really. Before you can have my essence, I want one really, really good kiss. As you so astutely pointed out, I am a virgin, and I've never even kissed a woman before. One long, slow kiss, like you kiss Cas when you're in bed together. And then you can have it."

Gail felt nauseous. She guessed the request could have been a lot worse, but this was bad enough. Could she bring herself to do it? Did she even want to do it? But she was so close now. Did they even make a mouthwash that could clean your mouth of the Devil's spit? Or maybe she would just rip out her tongue afterwards.

"I'll tell you what," Lucifer cooed. "To make it easier on you, I'll take on the appearance of anyone you want. I could be Castiel, if you're still into him. How about Sam? Dean? Or Crowley, maybe?"

Oh, God. What an ass he was. Gail sighed, then took a deep breath. "No. You stay you. I want to make sure I get what I'm paying so dearly for." She waggled the vial. At least she could close her eyes and imagine he was Cas. Then again, maybe not. She didn't want to enjoy one second of it. And she had to have her eyes open at some point, anyway, to capture the essence.

"Gail, I don't want you to do this," Cas said from behind her. "He shouldn't be making you do this."

Lucifer smiled, looking at Castiel. "Hey, you're getting off easily. I had considered asking her to get on her knees, and it certainly wouldn't have been to pray."

Castiel's eyes flashed bright purple for a moment. "You're lucky you're in that cage right now," he said quietly.

Gail was angry, too. "All right, let's just get this over with, so I can go throw up after," she said to Lucifer. She moved in close.

Lucifer laughed, and he moved to stand directly in front of her. She was prepared to do it. He couldn't believe it. If he was as evil as they all said he was, he would have had her on her knees. But he wasn't even going to make her do this. He'd just been screwing around. So, this was what real love looked like. He'd never seen it before.

"Take it," Lucifer said to Gail. She looked at him, puzzled, thinking he was making another crude comment. He gestured to the vial in her hand. "Take it, before I change my mind." He bent down and puffed out a ball of green smoke, and Gail put the vial through the bars and captured it, stopping up the vial when she was done.

She brought the vial out from between the bars and looked at it curiously. Now there was a layer of pink on the bottom, and a layer of green on top of it, like the world's most repugnant parfait.

"Funny, I always thought yours would be brown," she quipped, looking at Lucifer.

Castiel, Crowley, and Metatron laughed. But when Gail smiled at Lucifer, her smile was genuine. He had let her off the hook for some reason, and she was appreciative of that. "Thank you," she said to him.

Ah. The power of the Thank You. Lucifer could kind of understand what Crowley had been talking about. No one had ever said that to Lucifer, either.

Gail turned away from him quickly. Now that she had what she needed from the occupants of the cage, she wanted nothing further to do with those two. They could rot here, for all she cared.

She went to Crowley, giving him the vial. "Please," she said to him. It occurred to her that she had never actually asked him if he would do it; she'd just assumed that he would, when the time came.

Crowley looked at her for a moment. He'd briefly considered asking her to do something for him, too, but he decided not. He was better than those two in the cage, and he wanted to do this for her. He was impressed that she had actually accomplished it. He brought the vial to his mouth and breathed a puff of red, capturing it.

Gail thanked him and took the vial from his hand gently, then brought it to Castiel. He took it from her, taking her hand for a moment. "I love you, and I'm proud of you," he said to her. "You're not a nothing. You're everything." He breathed, and she was inexplicably glad to see that his essence was still blue, not purple. The purple was starting to get to her a bit; that wasn't who he was. Cas caught his breath in the vial and stopped it up.

He handed it to Gail, hoping she wouldn't thank him, too. He was the one who needed to be thanking her.

But Gail didn't. She kind of felt the same way, quite frankly. And she just wanted it to be done, and to get out of here. They could talk later. So she breathed out her puff of essence, and captured the ball of gold in the vial.

"Let's get the freaking hell out of here," she said to Castiel and Crowley, then turned her head to look back at Metatron and Lucifer. "Later, boys," she said to them. "And by later, I mean never."

They moved down the corridor away from the cage. The last time she'd left here, she'd heard the two of them laughing derisively at her. Now all was silent, and it was the sweetest sound she could ever not hear.

Crowley pushed the metal door shut, trying it to make sure it was secure. The cage's inhabitants would be very angry once they'd stopped their pouting, and somewhat irrationally, he just wanted to make sure.

He turned to Gail. "Congratulations, sweetheart. I have to admit, I never thought you would pull it off."

Gail made a face. "Neither did I, for a while there." She touched his arm, not caring if it made Cas mad. "Thank you for the worst experience of my life." She smiled wryly.

Crowley laughed. "Well, I am the King of Hell, after all. If anyone knows how to show a girl a bad time, it's me."

Gail laughed too. She didn't know what to think about this blood bond thing, but Crowley wasn't half bad sometimes. Of course, Charles Manson would look like a good-time guy after the two she'd just had to endure.

Cas was frowning, but he said nothing. He was sure that the Demon would be weighing in on this little scene later, but right now he was just glad they'd gotten out of there relatively unscathed, and with what they had gone there for. He had tried to take the vial from Gail's hand to put it in his jacket pocket for safefeeping, but she had held it away from him. Well, he guessed she was entitled to hold it. She had certainly earned her prize.

"We'll be in touch soon," Gail told Crowley. She rolled her eyes. "I have to go see your mother again."

Crowley smiled again, but this time his smile was sardonic. "Give her my regards."

"I will," Gail replied. Yeah, if she wanted Rowena never to speak to her again.

Crowley looked at Castiel then. "You need to treat her with respect," he said pointedly. "If you don't, there are others who will."

Cas got angry now. "I know what you want. I heard your confession," he seethed.

"And I heard yours, too. Both of them," Crowley said evenly. "Becoming a Demon has already made you stupid. Don't let it make you blind, as well."

Gail saw Cas's jaw clench, and she grabbed his hand quickly, winking them out of Hell and back to the bunker.

Chapter 2 - Bargain Basement

Dean was sitting at the library table, but his head was on his chest and he was dozing. He'd tried to wait up for them, Gail thought. How sweet.

She disengaged her hand from Cas's and said, "Go to the bedroom and get in bed. I'll be there in a minute."

He just stood there, looking at her. Why was she sending him away? Did she want to be alone with Dean?

Gail was exasperated. She'd just been through the ordeal from Hell, literally, and she was in no mood. "Go," she ordered him. She saw him looking at Dean. "If you start that crap right now, I swear I'm going to smack you. Just go. I'll be in in a minute."

He frowned, but turned and went down the hallway. She watched him go, then put her hand on Dean's shoulder, gently shaking him awake.

"Dean," she said. "Dean!"

He started awake, then looked at her. "What time is it?" he asked her.

"How the hell should I know?" Gail retorted. "I've just been in the land of eternal torment, where there are no clocks, and the fun just never stops."

Dean jumped up from his chair. "Where's Cas?"

She was happy to see he looked alarmed. So, he did still care about what happened to Cas. Good. She was going to need him to stay on board. Lord only knew what Rowena was going to require next.

"I sent him to bed," she answered. "I need you to do me a favour, and I don't want him knowing about it. Does he know the combination to the safe?"

Dean thought for a moment. "I don't remember. I might have given it to him."

"Well, change it. Then give Sam whatever number you decide on, and Bobby, if you want. But that's it," she told him sternly. She showed him the vial. "I want you to put this in it, and keep it safe until we have everything we need for the cure."

Dean looked at it, wide-eyed. "You got them?"

Gail sighed. "Yes, I got them, and we will never speak of it again." She grabbed Dean's hand and put the vial in it, smiling grimly. "Keep it away from him, and from me, too. It cost us too much to have anything happen to it."

Dean looked at her suspiciously. "What do you mean, keep it away from you? What did it cost you?"

Gail frowned. "Another dose of Crowley, for one thing. And don't look at me like that," she snapped. "I found out just how high that price was tonight. But I couldn't get in without it. You can tell Sam if you need to, but maybe not Frank. He'd heard enough bad crap about me recently."

Dean's heart sank. Her stubbornness and single-mindedness was condemning her, bit by bit. At what point did they decide that enough was enough? But he nodded. "OK, I'll put it in the safe. I can't believe you actually got it, though."

Gail tried to smile. "Me neither. I can't wait to see what's next." She rolled her eyes.

"We'll call Oliver tomorrow," Dean said.

Gail started to turn away, but Dean caught her arm. "You didn't answer my question. What did you mean when you said to keep it away from both of you?"

She felt sad. "Isn't it obvious? We might smash it. The Demon part of Cas doesn't want to be cured, and now I'm feeling like a part of me might not want it, either. You'll have to help us, Dean."

She kissed him on the cheek, then turned and walked down the hall as he looked after her in dismay.

Gail let herself into the bedroom. Cas was sitting on the edge of the bed, waiting for her.

"Where's the vial?" he asked her.

"Never mind," she told him. "Someplace safe."

He frowned, but merely said, "Are you coming to bed?"

Gail looked down at the Devil's Trap. "In a minute," she said. "I wanted to ask you something first."

"What's that?" he asked. He was agitated. Why wasn't she coming to bed, or even approaching him?

"Do you really not trust me?" Gail said. Out of all the things she'd heard tonight, that was the one that had bothered her the most.

"No," Cas said. He'd known she would be angry about that. "I was being ridiculous. Come to bed, please."

"Do you mean that, or are you just saying that to get me to come to bed?" she persisted.

"I mean it," Cas said sincerely. "I'm sorry."

"Well, you'd better be. Otherwise, I don't even know what I'm doing here, Cas. If we can't trust each other, what do we have left?"

He was getting scared now. Once again, she had one foot out the door, he could tell. And he had been pushing on the other one. "I do trust you, Gail. How could I not? You've given me everything."

"Yes, I have," she agreed. She could feel Crowley's blood rising in her now. She turned abruptly and left the room.

Cas was panicked now. He jumped off the bed and went to the edge of the Devil's Trap, but of course, he couldn't follow her. Was she coming back? What had he done?

But a minute or two later, she let herself back into the room, closing the door quietly behind her. She stood and looked at him for another moment.

"Do you love me?" she asked him calmly.

"Yes, I do, more than anything," Cas replied quickly.

"And do you believe I love you?" she said.

"Yes," he answered immediately. He'd better not hesitate, or equivocate. It was obvious from the way she was speaking that hearing that was very important to her. It could even be a deal-breaker now. "I know you do, Gail. Please come to bed. I love you. Please, don't leave me here alone. Please."

She nodded then, moving into the Devil's Trap. He put his arms around her, but gently, remembering her injuries.

"OK, Cas. I just wanted to be sure," she said to him.

"Please don't leave me," he repeated, looking at her face. He still wasn't sure how she was feeling right now. Was she still angry? And why had she left the room, only to come back a few moments later?

"I don't think I could now, even if I wanted to," she said wryly, looking down at the Devil's Trap. "Let's find out, shall we?" She disengaged herself from Cas's arms and tried to step back outside the circle. She felt the resistance, just like outside the metal door, when she'd tried to enter the corridor that led to Lucifer's cage.

"I thought so," she said, half-sad and half-amused. She reached into her pants pocket and pulled out the cell phone she had put there. "I stole this from the kitchen table. We're both going to need help getting out of here in the morning."

Cas looked at her, dismayed. Another thing their visit to Lucifer's cage had cost her.

"Don't worry about it," Gail said to him, taking his hand. "We'll figure something out. Time to enjoy the fringe benefits."

She put her arms around Cas and kissed him, using her tongue. He responded immediately, pulling her tightly to him.

"Let's go to bed," she said.

Now Gail was the aggressor, at least as far as what she needed was concerned. She took off her own clothes, making sure they were at the end of the bed within the Devil's Trap, so that they'd be within reach for her when they would have to call for rescue.

She laid down on the bed, and Cas was on top of her immediately. She brought his hand down to stroke her, and she was stroking him, and then she guided him into her. He was ready, of course, but Cas wondered if she was. But she was making her sounds, urging him to go faster, and he wasn't about to argue. She had her legs around him, pulling him forward, and Cas buried himself in her, crying out. It had been a stressful night for him too, and he was grateful for the release. But he had been too quick, and she wasn't even close to being satisfied yet. So Cas moved down her body and opened her legs, using his tongue. It took a moment because of the pain she was feeling there, but then she got to the good place, and she was crying out his name.

They lay together for a moment and he was cuddling her, but incredibly, she wanted to go again, right away. Cas thought this must be the influence of Crowley's blood being freshly introduced into her, and while he didn't especially mind, it was unlike her. He was usually the aggressive one, the one who pushed and pushed until she was hurt and bleeding. Now she was requesting it, demanding it, even. But she was already so marked up; how much more could she take?

She was laying on her stomach now, and the Demon in him took over. He grabbed her hips and pushed into her roughly, and she made a noise that was half-pleasure, half-pain. He reached around to stroke her as she rose up to meet him, and she was moaning, urging him to go harder, still. So he did, because that was what she said she wanted, and that was what the Demon wanted to do, too. It had been bad enough when Demon Cas had not known when to ease off; now Gail had too much Demon in her to know when to tell him to do so. She cried out into the pillows as he drove deep into her, and it was a good thing the pillows muffled the sound, as the men would have run into the room immediately if they'd heard her sound like that. Cas was hurting her now, but she was moving with him, urging him to do it.

They both cried out, and then Demon Cas was roughly caressing her body, using curse words. He leaned down to lick her back. How he wished he had that razor blade right now.

But Gail had a surprise for him. When they lay down again to catch their breath, Cas pulled Gail to him to kiss her. She winced in pain, and he found himself saying, "Maybe we should stop for a while."

She frowned. "I don't want to stop. You said you loved me; maybe I need you to prove it."

Cas was studying her face. Her eyes were the darkest brown he'd ever seen them, almost black. Now he knew she was still angry about what he'd said about her and Dean at Lucifer's cage, and probably about many other things, as well. She was doing what he'd been doing for most of his existence; suppressing his feelings, not expressing them. And her way of dealing with her anger at him was to have him hurt her, instead of the other way around. How messed up was that? Even as a Demon, she was so good at heart that she couldn't raise a finger to harm him, even though it was what he deserved. So she was encouraging him to hurt her, instead.

"I can prove to you how much I love YOU," Gail continued. She squirmed out of Cas's arms and limped off the bed, moving towards where she'd left her pants on the floor. She picked them up and reached gingerly into the pocket. She got what she'd been looking for and came back to the end of the bed, crawling slowly back up to him.

"I love you this much," she told him, showing him the razor blade.

Cas's mouth dropped open. He hadn't pleaded with her, he hadn't even asked; she'd just gone and gotten it. That must have been where she had gone when she'd left the room to get the cell phone.

He had mixed feelings now. He was touched that she loved him so much that she was willing to let him do that to her, and the hunger was rising in him now. He couldn't bring himself to make her take his diseased blood any more, but he could certainly take hers. He loved her, and he loved experiencing the blood bond with her.

But he had never been able to control himself once he started, either, and it seemed as if Gail was in no condition to set limits right now. He'd better make sure he didn't hurt her too badly.

She handed him the razor blade, kissing him. "I love you, Cas," she said softly.

His arms went around her and he opened her mouth with his tongue. He was feeding off her aggressiveness, and her willingness to submit. He was very excited now. He'd think about the consequences later.

He laid her down and moved down her body immediately, cutting her stomach several times in rapid succession. She hissed, but bore the pain stoically. Cas lowered his head and drank her blood, sighing contentedly.

Gail held his head as she watched him do it. He looked so happy now. She didn't particularly enjoy the pain, and the sight of blood had never excited her, but the sight of Cas licking her body always had, and she loved to make him happy. And she hadn't forgotten how happy he had made her the last time she had let him do this.

The memory excited her now, and she said, "Cas, please. I need you there." He smiled, and moved down her body. He made small cuts on either side of her abdomen, letting the blood run down between her legs, and then he brought her to his mouth, lapping it up eagerly. He put the razor blade down and grabbed her hips, holding her as steady as he could. She was moving with his tongue, saying his name, and he was glad to be making her so happy.

When she was still, Cas grabbed the razor blade and brought it with him as he entered her, cutting her neck and licking her blood as he drove into her. She was holding the back of his head, and then she brought his mouth to hers.

"I love you so much," Cas breathed, "and I know you love me." Then he closed his eyes, giving himself over to the feeling, and then he was done.

He rolled himself off of her, spent for the moment. He saw the razor blade by the pillow and picked it up, putting it on the nightstand. Then he turned to Gail, intending to take her in his arms, but the shock of the sight of her stopped him cold. Now that the Demon had been sated, the sight of her scared him, badly.

She was smeared with blood from the neck down, and a few of the cuts he'd made were still bleeding. She had all of the bruises and marks he'd inflicted on her from before, and some new ones as well, and he now saw what appeared to be bite marks on her stomach. When had he done that?

She was looking at him, reaching out to him, but he was afraid to touch her now. How could she stand it? It was no wonder Sam and Dean and Frank all wanted to kill him.

Cas leaned down and kissed her gently on the lips. He knew what he had to do now, and he had to do it immediately, before the Demon got hungry again. He got out of the bed and grabbed his shirt and pants from the floor, quickly putting them on.

"What are you doing, Cas?" Gail asked him, puzzled.

"What I should have done a long time ago," he said sadly, turning around to look at her. The men wouldn't have to kill him; what he was about to do would probably take care of that. But he had been claiming that he loved her all this time. Now it was time for him to finally prove it.

Cas walked back to the bed, but instead of laying down with her, which he still wanted so badly to do, he snatched up the cell phone and pushed a button on it.

"Dean," he said, "you and Sam have to come and get me. Please try not to wake Frank." He listened for a moment, then said, "No, Dean, it has to be right now. Please. Before I change my mind." He hit End Call and put the phone back down on the nightstand. "I'll leave this here for you in case you need it," he said to Gail.

"Where are you going?" she asked him, wide-eyed. A short while ago, he was begging her not to leave him, and now he was going to leave her. It was indicative of the way she felt at the moment that she didn't beg him to stay, herself. She was actually afraid to try to move right now. Given free rein and her encouragement, the Demon had crossed the line, and then he had looked at it in the rearview mirror. And Gail had fanned the flames on purpose. After her confession outside Lucifer's cage, she had realized that something had to give. They couldn't keep on going like this. She had been starting to resent Demon Cas, and the glimpses of the old Cas that she had seen tonight had served as a reminder of just how much he had changed, and how much she had put up with from him. But because of their blood bond, she couldn't just up and leave him, and despite it all, she didn't really want to. So Gail had given Demon Cas all the rope he needed, either to hang her, or to hang himself. She looked at him gratefully now. It seemed that he was actually going to take the high road, for a change. Better him than her; with Crowley's new blood racing through her veins, she was no longer capable.

There was a knock on the door. "Cas?" Dean's voice, speaking softly.

Cas glanced down at Gail, making sure she was fully covered by the sheet. She had automatically drawn it up over herself as soon as she had heard him summon the brothers. It sickened him to see now that the sheet was bloodstained. But there was nothing he could do about it now. The razor blade was on the nightstand, and he made no effort to conceal it. This was his cry for help, and Sam and Dean needed to see for themselves the extent of the damage.

"Just a minute," Cas said softly. He went to lift the sheet to heal Gail's wounds, then stopped himself. No. He could offer to heal her before they took him away from her, but he would not cover up his evil any more.

"Come in," Cas said. He gave Gail one more sorrowful look, then he moved to the edge of the Devil's Trap to await the brothers.

Dean opened the door, and Sam was right behind him. They saw Cas standing there, and the first thing they saw was the blood on his face and on his hands. Then they looked over and saw Gail laying under the bloodstained sheet, and the shock hit them both like a wave. Had Cas killed her?

Gail saw the look on their faces. "I'm OK, guys," she called out weakly. "Well, relatively speaking. I'm just trying to stay decent."

"What the hell, Cas?" Dean said, trying to keep his voice down so he wouldn't wake Frank.

"You need to take me out of here and put me in the chair," Cas said, "while I'm still willing to go." He gave them a grim smile. "Please."

Sam rushed past him and stood beside the bed. "Gail?" he said to her. "What happened?" But then he saw the razor blade on the nightstand, and he knew. He looked at her in horror. He could see the fresh blooms of blood on the sheet.

"I'm sorry, Sam," she told him, attempting a smile. "I'll have to do a laundry, when I can move again. But don't blame Cas. I did this on purpose."

Cas wheeled on her. "What do you mean, YOU did it?" he exclaimed. "I did it! Don't make excuses for me, Gail!"

"Who handed you the razor blade, Cas?" she asked.

Dean's eyes went wide. "What?" he yelled. "Gail! What the hell is wrong with you?"

Gail had known Dean was going to react like that, of course, but his rebuke still stung.

"I told you when we got back, didn't I, Dean?" she shot back, and the anger strengthened her voice. Maybe she could even try to sit up, in a minute. "I told you, I'm not myself any more." She looked at Cas. "I guess I was trying to force the issue. And, since this seems to be a night for confessions...a part of me didn't mind what you were doing."

Cas walked back to the side of the bed, looking at her. "Dean, Sam, could you turn your heads for a moment?" he said.

Sam glared at him. "Why?"

Cas sighed. He supposed that when you were a monster, people were suspicious of you for a good reason. "So I can heal her. I have to put my hands on her body, and I think she's been humiliated enough for one night."

Sam thought about that, then he moved back to stand beside Dean, and they both turned around.

Cas lifted the sheet from Gail's body, sickened again by the sight. But he was also starting to weaken now. He'd better make this quick. It was taking all the self-control he had not to climb back into bed with her, take off his clothes, and do it all over again.

He touched her, healing the open cuts he had inflicted on her. The many other marks, he could do nothing about, but at least she wouldn't bleed any more.

When he was done, Gail grabbed his hand and kissed it. "Thank you," she said, and her eyes had now lightened to their familiar warm brown colour.

"I have to go now," Cas told her softly. He tried to smile. "I don't want to, but I have to."

Gail smiled sadly. "And thank you for that, too." She pulled the sheet back up over herself.

Cas turned around and walked to the edge of the Devil's Trap. "Let's go. Now. Please," he said to the brothers.

Dean crouched down and scratched the edge of the paint with the knife he'd brought, and when Cas was able to exit, they escorted him out of the room. He didn't look back.

Gail looked at the floor where the Devil's Trap had been sprung. She was free now, too. But, free to do what? Go where?

She was still in tremendous pain, even though her cuts had been healed. Maybe she'd just lie here for a while and try to regroup.

She closed her eyes, and promptly fell asleep.

Sam and Dean installed Cas in the chair, chaining him to it just for good measure. No more sigil handcuffs; they knew those wouldn't work on him any more. The chains were a special kind; they had pentagrams carved into them, and they were guaranteed to hold any Demon. Just one of the little tricks they'd learned over the years. Sigils. Pentagrams. When you got right down to it, Angels and Demons were pretty much the same. Neither of them seemed to care when humanity got in the way of their conflicts.

They just stood there, looking at him. None of them knew what to say to the other now. The brothers had just witnessed the most shocking scene they'd ever seen, and that was saying a lot from their point of view. For his part, Cas was fighting the Demon with everything he had. But at least Gail was safe from him now, and so were Sam and Dean, and Frank.

"Need anything?" Dean asked sarcastically. "Coffee? A sandwich, maybe?"

Cas tried to smile. "How about the cure? That would be nice."

"Well, apparently, Gail's ruining herself so you can have your cure," Sam spat out.

That hit Cas like a blow to the gut. "I know, Sam," he said sadly.

"Then why are you letting her do it?" Sam asked him angrily.

The Demon was trying to get Cas to lose his temper, but instead, Cas smiled. "Have you ever tried to tell her what to do? It's not that easy, Sam. Believe me. I've tried, many times."

Sam let out a breath. He supposed Cas was right, about that, anyway. But he and Gail would be talking about this.

"Get some sleep," Cas said to them. "But if you want to make sure I'm still here in the morning, I suggest you repair the Devil's Trap in our bedroom. Oh, and change the code to the door outside here, while you're at it."

Dean looked at him, startled. Then he thought about the last time they'd had Cas here in this chair. Gail had freed him then, and she might do it again if given the opportunity. "OK, Cas," he said soberly. He paused at the door. "Light on, or off?"

"Might as well turn it off," Cas said. "Save electricity."

Sam looked at him. Did Cas just make a Cas joke? What was going on here? But, look at what Cas had just done. Sam had just barely restrained himself from taking a Demon knife from the weapons room and making Cas bleed a little, or maybe a lot, so he would finally get it. Vampire poison or not, Sam was fed up with seeing Gail bleeding and in pain. But now Cas was sitting there, talking mildly, and acting pretty much like his old self. And now Gail was the one with the dark eyes, and saying she'd handed Cas the razor blade. What in the holy hell was going on?

As if reading Sam's mind, Cas said, "And don't go too hard on her. I'm the bad guy here. This was my cry for help. I suppose that was hers."

"But she was the one to bleed, not you, right?" Sam said sarcastically.

Now the Demon began to rise up. "Fine, Sam. You're right. But if you don't think I'll be going through plenty of hell soon, you're wrong. And just because you treat her like a princess, it doesn't mean you'll be her king," Cas shot back.

"No. Crowley's the King, and now, thanks to you, she's got even more of his blood in her!" Sam yelled.

Cas dipped his head in acknowledgement of the truth of Sam's statement. "And that will be one of those torments that I'll have to live with. Goodnight." He closed his eyes, dismissing them. He couldn't allow the Demon to make him angry. Then it would take over, and he had too much thinking to do.

Sam and Dean looked at each other, then Dean turned off the light and pulled the door closed. And then he changed the code on the panel outside.

"Gail? Gail." Sam's voice, coming from somewhere inside her dream.

She had fallen asleep, but it had not been a restful sleep. Nightmares plagued her. Crowley. Cas. Lucifer. Metatron. At one point, Bobby pushed her into the cage and said she didn't deserve to come out, and then Lucifer grabbed her, putting his hands all over her body. Then, at another point, she was back in Crowley'd den, having a glass of red wine with him and Rowena. And then, she was stabbing Sam and Dean and Frank to death, then fighting with Cas and stabbing him, too.

She opened her eyes to see Sam standing over her, and she looked around, trying to orient herself. Oh. Right. Night from hell. Bloody sheets. Good times.

"You were sleeping," Sam said, trying to maintain a light tone. Even though he knew full well what that meant. "I haven't seen you do that in a long time."

She HAD been sleeping, too. How about that? Too bad she couldn't have enjoyed the experience more.

Gail tried to move, and although her whole body was extremely sore, she wanted to sit up. But she was still naked under the sheet.

"Can I get some clothes, Sam?" she asked him. "I want to try to sit up."

He walked to the end of the bed and grabbed one of her tops and pair of pants from the floor, then came back and handed them to her. He hadn't seen any underwear there, and he didn't really want to ask her about that. He guessed he already knew. He felt a flush creep up to his cheeks.

Sam turned around as Gail slowly put her top on. Then she tried to put her pants on while still laying down, but it was too painful. She looked at Sam's back. She really didn't want to ask him to help her, because she knew it would upset him too much to look at her, as bad as she was. Too bad Crowley wasn't here; he'd seen her like that before.

Then she had an idea. "I really need a shower, Sam. Do you think I could borrow one of your shirts to put on after?"

He turned back around. "Sure, Gail. I'll go get one. Wait for me here." He left the room.

She was faintly amused. As if she was able to go anywhere. But then she looked down at the floor and saw that the Devil's Trap was still open. The brothers had come back here last night, but seeing that she was sleeping soundly, they had let it be. They'd been too exhausted themselves. Gail had mixed feelings now. She could have gone to see Cas. But, maybe it was just as well. She wanted to get cleaned up, anyway.

Gail looked down at herself. There was no way she was going out to the shower with no pants, but it was too painful to put them on. Then it occurred to her. She wrapped the sheet around herself twice, like a skirt. There. The bedding was going to have to be changed anyway. It was bloodstained.

Sam ran into Dean while he was on his way to his room to get a shirt for Gail.

"Frank's up," Dean said, "and he doesn't know anything about last night."

"I can't believe he didn't hear anything," Sam said. "And he calls himself a Hunter." Frank and Gail's black humour was becoming contagious, and if Sam didn't have a light moment every now and then, he was going to lose his mind.

But Dean wasn't smiling. "He wears earphones and turns up the music so he doesn't have to hear Gail and Cas," he told Sam. "I told him we should consider that, too."

Sam was looking thoughtful. "We may not have to worry about that any more."

Dean made a face. "We'll see. With those two, you never know. I put on some coffee. You coming?"

"In a minute," Sam said. "Gail wants to take a shower, so I'm getting her a shirt to put on after. It looks like all her clothes are dirty; maybe I'll do a wash after breakfast. I guess I'll have to do the sheets, too."

"Don't," Dean said, frowning. "Take them out back and burn them."

They exchanged a look that said volumes. This was going to be a hard one to get over, if they ever got over it.

"Maybe try to keep Frank in the kitchen for a bit while I help Gail get to the shower," Sam said to his brother. "I don't want Frank to see her until she's cleaned up."

Dean nodded, and he went back to the kitchen as Sam ducked into his room and grabbed a shirt for Gail.

She had just made it to the side of the bed when he returned, and she was sitting on the edge with the sheet wrapped around her waist, as if she were waiting on the examination table in a doctor's office. She looked up when he entered the room. She'd been looking at her photo. It had been propped up against the lamp on the nightstand since they'd gotten here, and she'd wanted to make sure it hadn't gotten any blood on it when Cas had put the bloody razor blade on the nightstand. Fortunately, the photo was fine. But Gail wanted the razor blade gone.

"Can you please get rid of that for me, Sam?" she appealed to him, pointing to it.

He picked it up delicately. The thought of what it had been used for made him nauseous, and he wiped it on the blanket, then put it in his shirt pocket.

Gail was still looking at her photo. "What the hell happened to us, Sam?" she asked sadly.

He had no answer for that. He'd been wondering the same thing. It was like God had tossed them all into a blender and hit Puree, just to see what would happen. None of this made any sense, and none of it was fair to any of them.

"Let's get you cleaned up," he said gently, putting his arm around Gail's shoulders and helping her off the bed. She looked at her picture once more, then did something that Sam found both very sweet and very sad. She put the picture to her mouth and kissed it gently, then she touched Cas's face in the photo and then propped it back up on the nightstand.

"Is Frank up?" Gail asked Sam, as they slowly made their way to the door. She'd slipped her arm around Sam's waist, grateful for the support.

"Yeah, but he doesn't know anything about last night," Sam assured her.

Good, Gail thought. This situation was bad enough, without Frank going on the warpath again.

Frank wasn't on the warpath at the moment, but he was getting a little suspicious. Dean was acting strange. At one point, Frank had risen to go to the bathroom, and Dean had grabbed his arm, asking Frank to come with him to the fridge to see if any of the leftovers still looked like they were edible.

"I need to take a leak," Frank had protested, but Dean had insisted. He was hungry now, he said. Frank didn't want him to die of food poisoning, did he? So Frank had rolled his eyes and accompanied his friend to the fridge. They did the sniff test on a few things, then Frank said, "Sorry, Dean. I've really gotta go."

Dean panicked, but just then, Gail came into the kitchen. Dean let out the breath he'd been holding. "Bathroom's free," she said. Her hair was wet and she had Sam's shirt on and nothing else. Once again, Gail blessed the fact that Sam was so tall; the shirt was able to hide almost all of the damage that had been done to her body.

Frank looked at her. "How are you feeling this morning?" he asked.

"Okie-dokie," she told him. Lying through her teeth, of course. Once she'd found out that Frank was up, she figured she'd better clean up first, before he saw her. So she'd showered and washed her hair as quickly as she could, but her aching body was now paying the price.

"I've gotta go to the bathroom," Frank told her. "Stay here; I want to hear about what happened last night."

No, he didn't, Gail thought wryly, but she nodded. "OK."

On impulse, her brother reached out and gave her a hug. She nearly cried out in pain, but Gail bit her lip and put her arms around him in return.

"Go," she said. "I'll be here."

Frank left the room and Gail looked and Dean, wincing. "Ow," she said, slowly making her way to the kitchen table and sinking into the nearest chair. She sighed. "Thanks, Dean."

"What for?" he said. He poured a cup of coffee and came to sit at the table. He took the chair beside her instead of across from her. She looked at him curiously. "In case Frank decides to express his brotherly affection again," he said with a smirk.

Gail put her hand on his arm. "And thanks for that, too. And you know what I'm thanking you for. A whole bunch of things. How's Cas?"

"Dunno," Dean said, taking a sip of coffee. "I got up to make this, and then Frank got up, so I haven't had the chance to check on him yet."

"I'd like to see him," she told Dean.

He frowned. "OK, but one of us will have to take you. I changed the code on the door."

"Why?" she asked him, and he raised an eyebrow. Then she got it. "Oh. Probably not a bad idea," she said sheepishly.

Frank came back into the room, helped himself to a cup of coffee, and sat across from Gail. "How did it go last night?" he asked his sister.

She made a face. "It went. You don't want the gross details, believe me. Suffice it to say that we got what we went there for."

Frank was staring at her. "Where's Cas?" He had seen that their bedroom door was open when he had come out of the bathroom, and Frank had peeked inside. No Cas, and Frank noticed that the bedding had been stripped off the bed, and the Devil's Trap was sprung.

Gail sighed. She had known he was going to ask. "He's here, Frank, he's just..." She looked at Dean and he gave her a half-shrug. Your call, his look said. She looked back at Frank. "We're going to take a bit of a break for a while. And don't look so happy," she said sharply. "We're not breaking up." But even as she said that, Gail wondered. What were the two of them supposed to do now? She hadn't even received the first ingredient for the cure yet. Was he just going to stay locked away like a prisoner the whole time, in a room she couldn't even enter now? Did she even want to stay in that bedroom without him?

Frank was looking a little shamefaced. He had been hoping they were breaking up, or at least that Cas had left the bunker. Frank had had a problem with Cas ever since he'd tried to get to know him, and Gail was damn lucky that her boyfriend was still alive now. Sam and Dean had had to talk Frank out of kicking Cas's ass several times since Frank had found out that Cas was a Demon who had been abusing his sister. So he wasn't going to apologize for caring about Gail's well-being, but he didn't want to fight with her, either. They'd fought about Cas enough.

"So what are you going to do now?" Frank asked Gail.

"Nothing else TO do but go back to Oliver and start finding out what the rest of the ingredients are," Gail said in reply, shrugging.

Dean said nothing, but he was wondering about that. Would the extra blood dose that Gail had gotten from Crowley be picked up on by Oliver? He had freaked out when Cas had tried to come into his house, and he had been on the fence about Gail then. How about now? But Frank didn't know about the additional dose that Gail had received last night, and none of them wanted to tell him about that.

Gail looked at Dean. "Can I see Cas now?" she asked him. Frank frowned at that, and Dean rolled his eyes. It was a good thing Frank didn't play poker; his face was an open book. They could have gotten Cas to teach Frank a few things about maintaining a poker face, if Frank didn't want to kill Cas every time he looked at him, that was.

Gail ignored Frank, which was just as well, because when she turned away from her brother, her eyes were very dark. While she appreciated that her brother cared about her well-being, Gail knew that Frank hated Cas, and she just didn't want to look at her brother's stupid face any more. She was experiencing mixed emotions about Cas herself at the moment, but it was OK for her to think about Cas in a less-than-flattering way, but it was not OK for anyone else. Once again, Gail was wondering where they all went from here, even if the cure were to be obtained. Could they all co-exist happily with each other again, as they had before? Would they even want to? And what about her and Cas?

But, mainly because she didn't know what else to do, Gail was determined to soldier on. She did want to see Cas, though, and to make sure he was OK. He had done a very honourable thing for her last night, and she appreciated it.

"Where's Sam?" Gail asked Dean, as they walked to the room where Cas was being held.

Dean shrugged. Sammy had said that he was going to wash some clothes, and he would probably have taken the bedsheets out back and burned them. But Dean didn't really want to say this to her; the whole subject was uncomfortable enough as it was.

Instead, he said, "Have you thought about what you're going to do if Oliver won't let you into his house now?"

Gail stopped walking and looked at him, startled. She grabbed his arm. "Do you think that'll happen?" she asked him, wide-eyed. The thought had not occurred to her, but it panicked her now. Oliver had just barely accepted her at the table the last time, and she was another part Demon now.

Dean cursed himself. All she needed was something else to worry about now. "Sorry, Gail," he said to her. "Let's just burn that bridge when we get to it."

Gail laughed. Dean. She may have Demonlike feelings inside her now, but she still knew a good one when she heard it. And quite honestly, a large part of her felt like burning all kinds of bridges right now.

"I hate to do this to you, but you'd better turn your back," Dean said sardonically when they reached the control panel that opened the door to the safe room.

Gail sighed, but she could see his point. It wasn't as if she hadn't pulled that on them before, when Cas had been in that room the last time. She turned around.

Dean pulled the door open and turned on the light. Cas blinked, then his face lit up when he saw Gail. But then his face fell when he saw that she had Sam's shirt on, and that was all. No pants.

Cas had been struggling against the Demon all night and into the morning, and he thought he now understood the concept of multiple personalities. For every thought that Castiel had had, Demon Cas had weighed in with an opposing thought. And it seemed now that there was a third personality to be heard from, as well: Human Cas, who was in the middle of the two. Human Cas seemed to embody the best qualities of the Angel and the Demon combined, but his voice was weak, and his influence negligible. All three of these entities loved Gail, but in different ways. Angel Castiel loved her spirit and her personality, and he wanted to be equal partners with her in everything. Demon Cas wanted to bend her to his will. The Demon fed on Castiel's insecurities and self-loathing, telling him that she would never stay with someone like him willingly, not when she had so many other, better alternatives. Sam, Dean, Chuck...everyone loved her. Even Crowley. He'd tried to establish the blood bond and chain her to the bedroom, where she touched him and allowed him to touch her, saying she loved it, and loved him. But that hadn't been enough for the Demon side of Cas, and he kept pushing and pushing her, always looking for more, until she had cracked under the strain. Human Cas knew what the right way was to love her, and in a rare show of will, he had been able to suppress Demon Cas after his reprehensible behaviour of last night. It was Human Cas who had joined forces with the Angel to have Sam and Dean bring him here, safely away from Gail.

Seeing her in Sam's shirt reminded him of the dream he'd had, and Castiel was trying to remind himself of the horrifying potential future the dream had foretold. But Demon Cas's temper rose.

"So, it didn't take him long, did it?" he said to Gail.

"What are you talking about?" she asked him, approaching the edge of the Devil's Trap.

"Did Sam get a good look before he put his shirt on you? Did he put his hands on you, too?" Cas said angrily.

Gail was angry also. "I came here to see how you were, and that's what you've got to say to me? I had to wash all the blood off me, and I didn't have anything clean to wear. That's all," she snapped.

"I know he loves you," Cas said resentfully.

"I'm not going to go through this with you again," Gail shot back. "Now you're on about Sam. Last night, I was sleeping with - " She suddenly remembered they weren't alone. She'd been about to say Dean's name, and he was standing right behind her. She turned to Dean. "Could you leave us alone for a moment?" she asked him.

He shook his head. "Not gonna happen. Sorry, Gail."

She sighed, turning back to Cas. "Never mind," she said. "Anyway, I just wanted to see if you were OK. But I don't need to hear any of that nonsense. So if that's all you've got to say to me, I guess I'll go."

She started to turn around. Cas said, "I'm not OK. I'm terrible."

Gail turned back around.

"I've been fighting him all night, Gail," Cas said. "Sometimes, I'm winning; sometimes, he is. And now, there seems to be a third one. Maybe I shouldn't have watched 'Sybil' the other night."

Gail broke into a wide smile. This was the Cas she loved.

"Never mind me, how are you?" he asked her, looking anxious.

"Sore," she answered honestly, "but at least I'm clean now. That's why I'm wearing this shirt. Sam's washing our clothes right now," she added pointedly.

Cas looked ashamed. "I'm sorry I said that. I don't really believe it. That's him talking."

"I know, Cas." Suddenly it seemed really important to Gail that Cas have a chance to get cleaned up, too. There was just something about cleaning your body that helped you to feel better about yourself. And he looked like a mess.

"Can he please take a shower?" Gail appealed to Dean.

Dean thought about it. It would be less sickening to have to look at him without that dried blood all over him. Gail's blood. It was a good thing Dean hadn't eaten breakfast yet; he wouldn't have much in his stomach when he needed to throw up later.

"I'd like that, Dean," Cas appealed to him.

Dean sighed, then he approached Cas with the key to the padlock in his hand. He bent to unlock the chains, then froze. Was this a trick? Could he trust Cas not to freak out? He looked at Gail. And what about her?

Gail saw Dean looking at her. "I just want him to be clean, that's all," she said, holding up her hands. "It's not a trick, and I'm clearly unarmed here."

Cas's pulse quickened. Whether or not she was wearing another man's shirt, he knew what was underneath that shirt, and he was the only one who did. Suddenly, he wanted to be free for a different reason. He looked at Gail and smiled, and she smiled back. Was she thinking the same thing he was thinking? But he did have to get clean. He couldn't kiss her looking like this.

"Please, Dean," Cas said to him. "I mean no harm. I swear."

Dean relented and unlocked the chains. Being in such proximity to Cas now, he could see the dried blood up close, and Dean could even swear he smelled it. The coffee was threatening to come up now. Yeah, they had to get that off of him before Dean lost it and started to punch Cas out again.

Cas was free from the chains and he stood up now, stretching his muscles. He looked Dean in the eyes. Dean took the Demon knife out of his pocket and held it up, saying nothing. He didn't need to; the implication was clear. If Cas tried anything, Dean wouldn't hesitate to use the knife on him. Cas nodded. He understood.

Dean moved to the edge of the Devil's Trap and bent down to scrape the paint with his knife, keeping an eye on the both of them as he did it. He and Sam would have to lay in a supply of paint with these two around, he thought sardonically.

Gail and Cas were staring at each other. She moved to the edge of the Devil's Trap, and so did he. Dean looked up, knife at the ready, but Gail looked down at him and rolled her eyes. "We just want a moment here, okay? Relax," she said.

Dean frowned, bending his head again. He saw them kissing out of the corner of his eye, and he shook his head. After what he and Sam had seen last night, she was kissing him. When they started to use their tongues, Dean stood up abruptly. "Let's go," he said to Cas. Dean grabbed him by the arm and pulled him away from Gail, propelling him forward. With one last look of disgust for Gail, Dean escorted Cas out of the room.

Dean sat in the hallway outside the bathroom door, the knife in his lap. Cas was inside showering, but Dean wasn't going to drop his guard for a minute. Gail had gone to the laundry room to get fresh clothes for Cas, courtesy of Sam, and she brought them to Dean now. Then she looked at him, and then she turned and headed towards the kitchen, presumably to talk to Frank. Good, Dean thought. It was better that she stayed away from Cas for the moment.

But Gail couldn't stay away from him. She couldn't remember the last time that she and Cas had spent a night apart. Oh, yeah; actually, she could. The stupid tribunal. It had been torture then, and it was torture now. She had to feel his touch again.

So she looked back to make sure Dean wasn't watching her, and then she popped into the bathroom.

Cas was startled, but he wasn't really surprised. They'd been doing their non-verbal communication thing back in the safe room. He had just finished showering, and he left the water on as he stepped out of the tub. He put his arms around her and kissed her, his tongue tracing her lips and then opening her mouth.

"I missed you," he said softly, between kisses.

"I missed you, too," Gail replied. She was touching his neck, his shoulders, and his chest. He was clean, and he smelled so good.

Cas was excited now, and he knew she would have nothing on underneath the shirt she was wearing. Could they risk it? The water was still running, and it would help provide a cover.

He reached underneath the shirt to stroke her, and Gail moved closer to him, closing her hand around him. "We'll have to be very quiet," he said. He was trying to be serious, but he was smiling. She was touching him, making him feel amazing, and he sped up his fingers. A sound escaped her, and she put her other hand over her mouth, but she was smiling, too.

When she was ready, he moved forward, switching places with her so that her back was against the wall. He lifted her onto him and she wrapped her legs around his waist, urging him into her. He buried his face in her chest, kissing and licking her there, and she held his head. But when it got to be too good, she raised his head up so she could look into his eyes. "Shh," he said, smiling, moving slowly in and out of her. He was teasing them both now. Gail was whimpering, and she was getting louder now. He loved hearing her, but Dean was liable to come in here any minute. Cas didn't particularly care at the moment, but he knew that Gail would. So he stood up straighter and pushed into her, speeding up his motion, and he brought her head down against his chest to muffle her sounds. She was kissing and licking him there, and a loud groan escaped from his lips. Uh-oh. He'd been thinking so much about Gail and her sounds that he'd forgotten about his. But it was too late to stop now. He continued to stroke her, and she was saying his name into his chest. He moved forward again, pushing himself deeper into her, and then he was done.

Cas brought her face up to his and kissed her, trying to catch his breath. "That was fantastic," he said, and she nodded. It had been.

"I can't believe Dean didn't hear us, though," she whispered. Cas agreed, and although he was glad, he was wondering why. He took another moment to caress her under the shirt, and then he reluctantly lifted her back down to the floor.

Cas went to the door. "Dean?" he called out softly. Nothing. "Dean?" he said a bit more loudly. Still nothing.

He looked at Gail and she shrugged. Cas opened the door quietly and peered outside. So, that explained it. Dean's head was on his chest, and he was dozing. He hadn't had a lot of sleep the previous night, and as soon as he'd closed his eyes once, that had been it.

Cas closed the door and looked back at Gail. "He's taking a nap," Cas said, smiling. She smiled, too. She went to Cas and put her arms around him, inhaling his clean, soapy smell. "I love you," she said to him, and he said it back to her. It didn't matter to him whose shirt she was wearing at that moment; she had come to him, and that meant that she still loved him.

"Dean!" Sam's voice, outside in the hall. "Dean! Wake up!"

Cas and Gail smiled at each other. I'd better go, she said to him with her eyes. He nodded, kissing her one more time, long and slow. That would have to hold them for now. Then she popped out of the bathroom. Cas stared off into space for a moment, smiling, and then he opened the door a crack, peeking out.

"Can I have my clothes, please?" he said, and Dean rose, handing them to him.

Gail was sitting in the kitchen when Sam came in. He poured himself a cup of coffee and sat down across from her.

"So, what's new?" he quipped.

She laughed. "Hey, that's my line," she said.

They looked at each other for a moment, then Gail said, "Can you call Oliver? I'd like to get going on those ingedients."

"I already did," he said. "He said we can see him in an hour."

"Good." Then she frowned. "I don't know if we should leave Cas and Frank alone together here, though."

"That's OK, Gail." Frank's voice, coming from the hall. He walked into the kitchen, carrying his bag, and came over to where she sat. "Don't get up," he said to her, leaning down to kiss her on the forehead.

"I'm going back on the road for a while," Frank told Gail.

She looked up at him, dismayed. "Why?"

Frank looked at Sam, who gave him a brief nod of encouragement.

"You really want to know?" Frank asked his sister.

"Yes," she said. But didn't she already know?

Frank frowned. "OK, I'll tell you, then. I don't mean to hurt your feelings, but...it's too hard to be here with you and Cas right now."

Gail's heart sank, but she nodded. Yeah, she knew. And her brother didn't even know the full story. What could she say? "I'm sorry, Frank," she said, putting her hand on his arm.

"Yeah, I know, kiddo," Frank said sadly. He walked around the table to shake Sam's hand. "Take care of her for me, will you?" Frank said to Sam.

"We will, Frank. You know we will," Sam responded. If she'll let us, he thought.

Dean had called Bobby to come down and stay with Cas while they went to Oliver's, and after a bit of conversation on the subject, Dean had agreed to let Cas stay in the library area with Bobby.

"I'm God, Dean," Bobby had said dryly. "He's not gonna try anything with me. Besides, I want to have a talk with him, man-to-man."

Dean was silent, and Bobby scowled. "Well, you know what I mean," Bobby added.

Sam and Gail came out from the kitchen. "Hey, Bobby," Sam said to him, but Bobby was looking at Gail. He hadn't seen her for a while; but Sam and Dean had been keeping him in the loop, so he knew what had happened the night before. Bobby couldn't believe she had elected to go to Lucifer's cage again, and that she had agreed to take another dose of Crowley's blood to do it.

"How are you, Gail?" Bobby asked her, frowning.

"About as well as can be expected, considering I'm a Demon trying to cure another Demon who's got God for a babysitter," she retorted. She was still stinging over what Frank had said before he'd left, and Gail was using black humour to cover her hurt.

Bobby did a double-take. "Is that supposed to be funny?" he asked her uncertainly.

Gail sighed. "No, I guess not."

Dean brought Cas out, and Gail walked over to him. "I'll see you in a little while," she said, touching his face.

Cas tried to smile. "I'll be here," he said. He looked at Bobby. He wanted to kiss her, but he felt strange doing it in front of Bobby for some reason. Bobby was staring at the two of them, and he didn't look happy. Cas supposed Sam and Dean had told him about what happened last night. And now Gail was leaving with the brothers, and leaving him alone with God. This might finally be the time for Bobby to accomplish his first smiting.

"Hurry back," Cas said to her. Then he did put his arms around her, and she kissed him softly on the lips.

"Let's go, Gail," Dean said irritably. He'd been wanting to kick Cas's ass ever since last night; now he was contemplating kicking hers, as well. He still couldn't believe she was even speaking to Cas now, let alone being this affectionate with him. He hadn't puked yet today, but Dean still wasn't ruling it out.

Once Gail and the Winchesters had gone, Bobby looked at Cas and said, "What are you doing, Cas?"

Cas was avoiding his eyes. "What do you mean?"

Bobby was doing the slow burn, but Dean had also told him that Cas had had a sudden attack of conscience last night, and Bobby wanted to see if it had held.

"You know what I mean," Bobby retorted. "We all know what you've been doing to her physically. But how about what you're doing to her emotionally?"

Cas looked at him then, and the Demon was annoyed. "I'm not doing anything," he protested sharply.

"Don't hand me that, Cas," Bobby shot back. "I know how relationships like yours go. All too well, unfortunately. And I know how they usually end."

Cas was alarmed. What did Bobby mean by that?

Bobby sighed. Cas did seem calmer than expected after his actions of last night, but Bobby knew it fit the pattern. His father had been the same way. In-between bouts of violence, his father would be contrite, and very loving, with Bobby's mother. That was one reason why women were able to stay with their abusers for so long. There was usually genuine love there, and the man would prey on that, either consciously or subconsciously. Dean might be amazed by the affection between the couple this morning, but Bobby wasn't. That didn't make it right, though.

"You've gotta leave her alone, Cas," Bobby said grimly.

"I have," Cas protested again. "I had Sam and Dean put me in the chair last night."

Bobby raised an eyebrow. "And you haven't been alone with her since?"

Cas looked sharply at him.

"Yeah, I saw," Bobby said sarcastically. "And, no, I didn't watch. But I saw." And he had, too. Bobby had been looking in on the two of them regularly, ever since they'd found out how bad it had gotten. Most of what he'd seen had been extremely personal, including that little scene in the bathroom this morning. But that had been enough to confirm to Bobby that Cas still didn't get it.

"She came to see me," Cas said defensively.

"I know that, Cas," Bobby said, frowning. "But that just proves my point. There's a saying: 'Don't keep her waiting just because you know she will'."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Cas asked him.

"You're a smart guy, or at least, you used to be," Bobby retorted. "You figure it out."

Cas sat quietly, lost in thought. Truthfully, he knew very well what Bobby was getting at, and Bobby was right. Cas was ruining Gail's life by being in it, and if he were to prove he truly loved her, he knew what he had to do now.

The instant Gail crossed Oliver's threshhold, he moved closer to her, peering at her face. "No," he said.

"No, what?" she said to him. Though she was pretty sure she knew.

"I'm not sitting at the table with you," Oliver said bluntly. "Why don't you slink home to your Demon boyfriend and leave me in peace? I haven't had a restful night's sleep since I met Sam Winchester, and since YOU came, all I can see now when I read the cards is the Devil."

Gail was annoyed. If this guy only knew. So he "saw" the Devil, so what? Oliver should try speaking to him in person sometime; he'd never sleep again. But she also felt panic now. Oliver may hate her, but she needed him.

"Please, you have to help me," she said to him. She put her hand on his arm, but he gave her a look of revulsion and shook it off.

"I don't HAVE to do anything," Oliver said to her. "Why don't you get your friend, the King of Hell, to help you?"

Gail looked at Sam, appealing to him for help.

"We'll double your fee," Sam said to Oliver.

"No," Oliver said. "Now get out of my house."

"We'll triple it," Dean told him.

Oliver looked at each of them, shaking his head. "This isn't about money. It's about self-respect."

Gail laughed shortly. "Self-respect? I remember when I used to have that. But it's become a luxury I can't afford these days."

"Well, that's unfortunate for you, but I still have some, and I'm not going to commune with a Demon," Oliver insisted. He threw the front door open and pointed outside. "Now, go."

Gail was frustrated and angry. She wished she knew what all of her Original powers were, so she could use them on this guy, either to persuade him, or to punish him. Lucky for him he didn't have a pet that she could sic on him. She glared at Oliver. What could she use as leverage, to get him to cooperate? Too bad she couldn't spring Lucifer from his cage for about an hour; that would really put the fear of holy hell into Oliver. He had no idea who he was dealing with here. She hadn't gone through all this and gotten this close only to be turned away by the likes of him.

Then she had an idea. She didn't have access to Lucifer, but she did have access to the next best thing.

"Let's go, guys," she said to the Winchesters. But before she walked out the door, Gail approached Oliver and stared him down. "I'll be back soon," she said evenly.

"Don't bother, I won't let you in," Oliver said defiantly.

"You may not have to," she said enigmatically. Then she smiled. "Keep reading those cards, Oliver. Your future could go either way right now." She reached out her hand to touch his face, relishing the look of horror on his face as he shrank back. Her eyes must be really dark now. Good. If she had to be a Demon, she might as well be scary.

When she got outside with Sam and Dean, Gail was shaking with anger.

"What was that, Gail?" Sam asked her.

She looked at him. He and Dean had been so good to her, but they were of no use to her in this situation, and she knew they wouldn't approve of what she was thinking. But it wasn't their call to make.

"Nothing, Sam, I was just frustrated," she told him.

They got in the car and Dean drove them back to the bunker. After a couple of attempts to engage Gail in conversation, Sam gave up. She was looking out the window with a thoughtful expression on her face. He could understand how disappointed she must feel, but truthfully, Sam was a little relieved. Maybe she would have no choice but to give up now. Sam had been afraid to find out what the reamining ingredients were, and what would have to be done in order to get them. Look at what the first one had already cost her. And Sam was pretty much done with Cas, anyway. He had left him alone for Gail's sake, but Sam felt hate for Cas now. Unwitting victim or not, every time Sam looked at his former Angel friend now, all he could see was Gail, hurt and bleeding.

Dean could understand how Sam must feel, and a large part of him felt the same way. But Dean still wasn't ready to give up on Cas, or on Gail, either. In the past, it had been Sam who had been relentless. Sammy had done a lot of questionable things in his efforts to rid Dean of the Mark of Cain, and even though Dean had told him to stand down, Sam hadn't. And Dean now appreciated that. But now, Sam was letting whatever feelings he had for Gail cloud his judgment. Maybe he thought that Cas was just going to go away quietly, leaving Gail with them and Sam with the opportunity. But Sam seemed to be forgetting that Gail had Cas's diseased blood in her too, or at least some of it, not to mention a double dose of Crowley's now. Dean had been looking at her face back there when she'd been talking to Oliver, and he'd seen her eyes darken. She wasn't the same woman now, just as Cas wasn't the same man they'd known all these years. Dean wasn't prepared to give up on the cure. But how were they going to contact Rowena now?  
Gail didn't want to talk, she just wanted to think. Could she get Crowley to help her contact his mother somehow? If Death could give her his permission to contact her in the Netherworld, as he had done in this case, did Crowley maybe know another way to do it? What the hell. She'd sunk this low; might as well go down another couple of rungs.

But in the meantime, what was she going to do about Cas?

Chapter 3 - The Nature Of Our Wrongs

When they walked into the library, Bobby was sitting at the table, and he was alone.

"Where's Cas?" Dean asked him.

"Gone," Bobby said shortly.

Gail rushed up to him, panicked. "What do you mean, Bobby? What did you do?"

Bobby regarded her calmly. "We had a good, long talk, and he decided it was best for him to just disappear for a while."

Gail was livid. "He decided, or YOU decided?" she asked him angrily.

"It was ultimately his decision, but let's just say I didn't disagree," Bobby replied.

She turned on Sam and Dean. "Did you guys put him up to this?"

"No," Sam replied, but he looked at Bobby gratefully. This was the best news he'd heard in a long time. Now they wouldn't have to worry about Gail's safety any more.

But she was frantic. Never mind that she'd been worrying about what to do about Cas herself. She hadn't wanted him gone, she'd just wanted...what, exactly? Like always, she'd wanted to have her cake and eat it, too. She wanted a loving relationship with him, but she didn't want the pain, or the blood. But that was impossible with the way he was now, wasn't it? Damn Oliver. Oh, he'd cooperate, all right.

And damn Bobby, too. She didn't care what he was saying; he'd driven Cas away, she knew it. "Where did he go?" she asked him.

Bobby shrugged. "Far away. He left a note for you." He reached into his pocket and handed it to Gail.

She grabbed it from his hand and ripped open the envelope. His note was brief. He loved her, and he was leaving her in order to prove it. He couldn't hurt her any more and be able to continue to live with himself. He was taking his cell phone with him, but please call only if there was an emergency, or if the cure was obtained. Otherwise, he needed to be alone, to think about what he should do next.

Gail looked at Bobby, dismayed. "You did this," she said to him.

Bobby had been determined not to lose his temper with her, but it was difficult. Cas had finally stepped up and done the right thing, and if Bobby had given him the push to begin with, so what?

"Take a look in the mirror, Gail, and then come back and tell me that this isn't the best thing all around," Bobby said, staring directly into her eyes. They were very dark now. Bobby knew she was upset, but it hurt him to see those eyes. She wasn't much better off than Cas was right now. But at least she hadn't turned on any of them. Yet. He'd have to tell Sam and Dean to be very careful now.

Gail was beyond frustrated. She knew Bobby was right, and that just made it all the more maddening. But she couldn't stand to think of Cas out there somewhere, all alone. She knew he swung back and forth as far as moods went, but he had obviously been good Cas when he'd left, judging by the tone of remorse and sadness in his note. But what would happen when the Demon took over again? What would he do then? And if he did something bad, would Castiel rise up then and prompt him to kill himself out of guilt?

She looked at the men. "If anything happens to him, I'll never forgive any of you," she said bitterly, and then she stalked down the hall to the bedroom, slamming the door closed behind her. She looked down at the floor. Cas's clothes were gone. So it was really true. A part of her had been hoping that Bobby had been lying to her, maybe just to smarten her up a bit. Well, she didn't need that from him. Gail knew very well what was going on. But none of those guys understood how she and Cas felt about each other. Yes, some of the stuff that had happened between them was terrible, but he was her life. That was why she had sacrificed so much of herself for him, and for the cure. And there was no way she could stop now. She was damn well going to cure him, or die trying. And if she did, what would it matter? She had no life without him, anyway.

She looked at the bed and saw that Sam had folded her clothes neatly and put them on the bed, which was freshly made with clean sheets. All that was missing was the mint on the pillows. Gail smirked. How very hospitable of him. Too bad she couldn't stay.

She moved to the bed and grabbed her clothes, throwing them into the now-empty suitcase. Then she looked around the room. Had she forgotten anything? Then she noticed: Her photo was missing. What the hell? She looked on the floor, under the bed, everywhere. But it was gone. Had Sam taken it when he'd been in here earlier? No; why would he do that? Had Cas taken it?

Well, she had no time to worry about that right now. She had to get out of here before one of them came to get her. The Devil's Trap was still sprung, but she'd seen the way that Bobby had been looking at her, and she knew that it wouldn't be for long.

So Gail closed the suitcase and grabbed it, winking herself out of the bunker.

Sam had wanted to go after Gail right away, but Dean had shaken his head, putting his hand on Sam's arm. "Let her cool off, Sammy," Dean said. He'd seen her eyes darken, and Dean remembered how he'd felt when that had happened to him. When he'd been a Demon and had been that pissed off, he had beaten the crap out of some guys, just on general principles. He didn't really believe that Gail would be violent, though; she didn't seem the type. But she had a sharp tongue on her at times, even at the best of times, and she could say some things that might really hurt Sam. Lord knew Dean had done the same thing to his brother when he had been a Demon. It was really easy to hurt someone who loved you with some well-chosen words.

So he got himself and Sam a beer, and they had sat down to talk with Bobby. But Bobby was silent, unresponsive. He was thinking about the conversation he'd had with Cas.

Once Bobby had pointed out a few home truths to Cas, Cas had pretty much taken the ball and run with it. He told Bobby he would leave, for Gail's sake. But first, he wanted to make his full confession, and since Bobby was God, there would never be a better opportunity, or a better audience. They both had smiled at that, and Bobby had been impressed by Cas's newfound ability to fight off the Demon in him, at least for long enough to have this conversation. But then again, he shouldn't have been that surprised. He'd known Cas to be a fighter from way back, and though most of the fights he'd been in had involved external forces, this fight was no less deadly.

So he'd heard Cas's confession, and it was a good thing Bobby wasn't a priest, or he would have had a stroke. Cas told Bobby about every bad thing he had ever done, going way back. Bobby had been there for some of it, but he'd had no idea. Cas told Bobby about how brutal he'd been during the Angel wars, and about all of the terrible things he'd done with Jason at the time. Metatron hadn't had to infect him with the Seven Sins; Cas already had them, in spades. Maybe he was bipolar or something, Cas had joked weakly. He hated himself, yet he'd had excessive bouts of pride, and of vanity. When Gail looked at him with love and admiration, he felt like he was invincible. Not that she'd looked at him like that in a while, he'd said ruefully. But the day that he had been God, Castiel had relished being a hero to all of his friends. He'd soaked up all of their looks of reverence and awe, and he had run around giving them all presents, as if he were the only one who could. But his motives had been selfish, and he had simply been trying to buy their love. He'd given Sam and Dean and Frank all that money to be a big shot, and to receive their thanks and looks of gratitude. He'd been nice to Ethan to buy his goodwill. And he'd brought Frank back for Gail, knowing she would be eternally in his debt for it. Then he'd given them that house so they could both live in comfort, but now he had turned it into a house of horrors for her, injecting her with his diseased blood and brutalizing her there.

Cas told Bobby about their trip with Crowley to see Metatron and Lucifer, and he held nothing back. Bobby'd had quite a bit of experience there himself, but he was still appalled at what Cas was telling him. Cas was bitter, telling Bobby how the men had come down on him, saying that their Father had given him everything, while they'd had nothing. Calling him God's Golden Boy. He laughed derisively. He didn't know where the hell they'd gotten that from. He'd never felt that way. Never. Why the hell would they ever envy someone like him? They should try BEING him sometime. Cas envied guys like Sam and Dean, and Bobby. He wished he could be like them. He even envied Crowley, to a certain extent. Crowley just did whatever he wanted, and he didn't give a damn how people felt about it. So Cas had tried that, but it never worked out for him. Look how he'd been with Gail. As soon as he'd discovered that he'd been able to make love to her in the human way, he'd gone nuts, dragging her off to bed at every opportunity. And he was still doing it. She let him, and he supposed she even enjoyed it at times, but he just pushed and pushed her, and that was when the marks and the blood had started to appear. Those were the Demon's fault, but he'd known what was inside of him, and yet he'd proceeded anyway. He didn't want to embarrass Bobby, and he really didn't want to embarrass Gail, but he had to confess that they'd had some very good times in that bedroom when there had been no violence involved. Bobby had shrugged uncomfortably. He really didn't like hearing about that, but he recognized Cas's need to unburden himself, so Bobby had remained silent.

But Cas had felt so angry for much of the time, as well. Like Gail, he'd never gotten over the tribunal and the injustices he'd suffered there. He'd tried to deal with the board in the honourable way, but the Demon that had been growing inside of him even then had wanted more. So when Castiel had been presented with the opportunity to kill Lanister and Alexander, and to torture Xavier, he had taken it eagerly. That, to him, was real justice. After all, they had tortured him and Gail, and then they had killed Cas. Wasn't that only fair, then? Why the hell should Cas always be the one to turn the other cheek? That was how anyone would feel, wasn't it? Nobody understood what that had been like. Maybe Gail, but that was it. Sam and Dean hadn't been there. Sometimes Cas just wanted to lash out and hurt someone, and it didn't seem to matter who was on the other side of the blade at the time. Angels, Demons, humans; it was all the same. He had been in pain for most of his existence. Why should he not share the wealth?

But then Gail had led him to Lucifer's cage, and then she had led him into the bedroom and handed him that razor blade. And he had used it on her, trying to pass off his need to inflict pain and to see blood as an act of love. But, as usual, Gail had been the smartest one of them all. She had sacrificed herself so Cas would not hurt Sam and Dean. When they had returned from Hell and Cas had looked at Dean, his first impulse had been to kill Dean. He could have easily killed both brothers then, and Frank too, and taken Gail away from there. She'd sensed that, he was sure, so she'd sent him to wait for her in the bedroom, the one place he wanted to be with her the most. But when he'd turned his bloodlust on her, and his head had then cleared enough to see the result, Cas had finally gotten that wake-up call that nothing and no one else had been able to give him. And now Bobby was reinforcing the lesson.

There were only two things that Cas didn't say to Bobby. He didn't tell him about the confession about his Father that he had made at the cage. Bobby may be God now, and Castiel knew he was his friend, but that had been just between the Originals, and there it would stay. And Cas didn't tell Bobby about the blood bond. Bobby wouldn't understand. Cas was afraid that Bobby had been judging Gail for her part in all of this, and he didn't want Bobby to think less of her. If Cas told Bobby that Gail now shared that bond with Crowley as much as she shared it with Castiel, Bobby would freak out. Truthfully, Cas was concerned about that too; he had been ever since they'd gone to Lucifer's cage. And that was the kicker, and the main reason that Cas had to leave now: he was afraid that if he didn't, the Demon would make him get a syringe and inject her again and again, to wipe Crowley out of her system altogether, and to tie her irrevocably to Cas himself.

So he'd written the note for Gail and given it to Bobby, then packed his clothes, borrowing a bag from Dean's room. He'd looked at Gail's photo and, after a moment's deliberation, he'd picked it up and put it in his shirt pocket. He hoped she wouldn't mind too much, but he had to have it with him. Cas would look at it whenever he needed the strength to stay away from her. He had the feeling he'd be looking at it a lot.

Then he'd shaken Bobby's hand and winked out of the bunker.

Bobby was thinking about all of that now, and as angry as he had been at Cas, Bobby had to hand it to the guy. When the chips were down, Cas had done the right thing, the honourable thing, even with all that Demon juice in his veins. Bobby was mostly with Dean on this one. Anything reasonable that Gail needed his help with to bring about the cure, Bobby would be willing to do. But no more Demon blood, and no more Crowley. Enough was enough.

"Bobby!" Dean shouted, breaking him out of his reverie.

"Sorry, Dean, what were you saying?" Bobby asked him.

Dean was frowning. "I was saying, how are we going to figure out the cure when Oliver won't help us any more? Ideas?"

Bobby shook his head. "I don't know, Dean. I don't know anything about this so-called Netherworld. Another thing on the long list of stuff God didn't tell me about." If Cas had shared that particular confession with Bobby, Bobby would have been able to relate. The new God was frequently angry with the original God when he thought about all the things that God had left him in the dark about. If He hadn't trusted Bobby, why had he offered him the job in the first place? Just like that stuff about the Originals. Bobby still knew next to nothing about that subject, and the only one who was around was Gail, now that Cas had left.

Gail! "We'd better get Gail out here, find out how she's doing," Bobby said to the brothers. A sudden image of his mother flashed into Bobby's head. When she'd realized her husband was gone, she had killed herself. And while Bobby didn't think it was as bad as all that, he knew how upset Gail must be feeling right now. Besides, any discussion of the cure needed to include her.

The three men rushed to the room and opened the door, after getting no response when they had knocked and shouted her name. But Gail was gone.

She went back to the house first, to drop off the suitcase. Then she looked around the bedroom for a moment. The rest of Cas's clothes were gone, and so was his cell phone. So he was planning on being away for a while, it looked like. She couldn't believe it. If she were to be honest with herself, there was a silver lining; maybe a couple of them. At least her injuries would be able to fully heal, now that she wasn't incurring any new ones. She was still in so much pain. And now they wouldn't have to worry about what to do with or about Cas while she was out doing what she had to do to get the cure. But the biggest part of her missed Cas so much it was a physical ache. Damn Bobby. If he hadn't gotten into Cas's head, they could have made it work somehow.

Gail needed to see Crowley. He'd helped her do so much already, and now she needed him again. She smiled when she remembered what he'd said to her when they had come out from their visit to the cage. Well, now she needed him to show a certain pseudo-psychic a bad time. If Oliver was scared at the mere idea of the Devil, let's see how he felt about a visit from the King of Hell himself, she thought.

She was still smiling as she appeared at the crossroads, thinking Crowley's name. He came right away, regarding her curiously.

"Castiel still being held prisoner?" he asked dryly.

"No," she said resentfully. "Bobby made him leave."

Crowley raised an eyebrow. "Where did he go?"

Gail let out a frustrated breath. "Who knows? I just hope he's OK." Then something occurred to her. "Can you see him? I seem to remember you telling us you could see us, if you tried to look."

Crowley frowned inwardly. He probably could too, if he wanted to. But did he really want to?

"Please," she said. "Can you try to look? I just want to make sure he's OK."

"All right, Gail," Crowley said to her. Then he stood still, opening up his mind. Finally, a picture emerged. Castiel was sitting on a patio in Paris, of all places. He had a glass of wine in front of him, but it lay untouched, and he had Gail's photo in his hands.

"He's OK," Crowley told her.

"That's it? 'He's OK'?" she said. "Where is he? What's he doing?"

Crowley was annoyed. "How the hell should I know?" He bloody well knew, but her persistence was irritating him. If she needed a crystal ball, why didn't she just get one? Did she summon Crowley here just to ask him that?

Gail could see that she was pissing him off, and that was no way to ask anyone for a favour, let alone Crowley. "I'm sorry," she said quickly. She stepped forward, touching his arm. "I was just worried about him, that's all."

Crowley looked at her, somewhat mollified. But he was still a bit ticked off. "Is that all you called me here for, then?"

"No," she said. "I was hoping to enlist your help again. Care to join me in a home invasion?"

Crowley smiled as she described what she had in mind. "Well, I don't usually approve of such strong-arm tactics," he joked, "but it might be kind of fun. I haven't scared any humans for a while now. I'd hate to get out of practice."

Gail made a face. "You do realize if we're successful, though, you'll have to see your mother again," she told him.

Crowley rolled his eyes, sighing. "Yes. I guess Angels aren't the only ones who have to make the bloody sacrifices."

Gail smiled. "She is a piece of work, isn't she?" Then her expression turned serious. "Thank you for this. I knew I could count on you."

Crowley felt proud. What a sweet thing for her to say. He was being her hero now, not the Winchesters, and especially not Castiel. His brother was in Europe, mooning over Gail, and who was here, helping her? Crowley was.

He lifted an eyebrow, looking at Gail speculatively. "How are you feeling, sweetheart?"

She knew what he was getting at. Why not be honest? "Like crap. Hurting all over. Trying to deal," she said.

"The standing offer still stands," he told her.

She looked at him for a moment. The King of Hell, tempting her with healing and relief from her pain. Should she take him up on it? "OK, I would appreciate that," she said, as he moved in closer. But she put her hand on his chest. "Nowhere too personal, though," she cautioned him.

"Wouldn't dream of it," he answered softly. But the truth was, he'd been secretly hoping.

He touched her neck and her arms, and edged his hands under her top to heal her back and her stomach. But when his hands started to wander a little too far north, she stopped him.

"That'll have to be enough," she said, smiling faintly. "But, thanks, anyway."

He removed his hands from her immediately. "Hey, you can't blame a fellow for trying," he said, smirking.

Gail laughed. At least parts of her felt better now. But the only guy that was going to be touching the other parts had gone off somewhere now, presumably because he loved her so much. That was really messed up, when you thought about it. But such was her life now.

She took Crowley's hand. "Let's go scare the holy hell out of a human," she said.

But he frowned. "Wait just a minute," he said.

She looked at him. What was this, now? Was he going to back out on her? Or ask for something in return? This wasn't Mother Teresa's hand she was holding, after all.

"Do Moose and Squirrel know about this? Does Bobby?" he asked her.

"No," she said, making a face. "I didn't think they'd exactly approve. And I'm kind of AWOL at the moment."

"Will they be looking for you?" Crowley asked her.

Gail thought about that for a moment. "Yeah, they probably will. But if I'm not at the house, and I'm not answering my phone - "

He cut her off. "Bobby is God, sweetheart," he said. "So, unless you're in my Kingdom, he can pretty much see you anytime, anywhere."

Crap. She hadn't thought of that.

But Crowley was smiling. "However, as they say, there's an app for that," he told her.

She perked up. "Really? What's that?"

"One of the perks of being an Original is that when you team up with another Original, you can do extraordinary things," he told her. "You and I can generate enough power together to put a temporary shield around you so that Bobby can't see you."

"How do we do that?" Gail asked him curiously.

Crowley sighed. "You really haven't been taught very much, have you?"

"Well, I've had a lot more than school going on lately, in case you haven't noticed," she said tartly. He looked at her evenly. She'd done it again, she thought. Well, it was her own fault. Now she was beginning to understand Cas's anger issues a bit more; it seemed as if she was a lot more inclined to fly off the handle ever since she'd received that extra dose of Demon juice. No wonder every Demon she had ever met was a jerk. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to snap at you," she told Crowley, putting her hand on his arm again. "I've just been dealing with a lot lately."

Crowley couldn't believe it. She'd been the first one of them he could recall ever having said "Thank you", and now she had actually apologized to him, twice. And now she was apologizing for using a snarky tone with him, which was the only tone he had ever been used to hearing from any of them, anyway. He was so gobsmacked that all he could say was, "I know you have."

They looked at each other for a moment, her hand still on his arm, almost as if they were friends. If they were, she would be the only one he had ever had. He smiled at her. "So, are you game, sweetheart?"

"I'm game," she responded, sighing. "How do we do it?"

"Give me your hands," Crowley said. She put out her hands and he took them in his own. If anyone had told Gail a year ago, or even a few months ago, that she would be standing at the crossroads, all alone, and voluntarily holding hands with the King of Hell, she would have laughed right in their face. But here she was now, doing it.

"Now, concentrate," he said to her. "Think shield-y thoughts." She gave him a look, and he laughed. "Imagine a pane of opaque glass," he continued, still smiling. Gail tried to picture what he was describing, and once she could see it in her mind's eye, she nodded. "Now picture standing behind it," he said. She did, and suddenly, a red glow emanated from his hands and joined with the golden glow from hers. Once the aura faded, Crowley let go of her hands and said, "That's it. Now Bobby's vision will be blurred, temporarily, every time he tries to look for you."

Wow. There really was something to this Originals stuff if that was the case, Gail thought. And she had no reason to believe that Crowley was lying to her in this instance. Why on earth would he want God spying on them? And if she felt a little tug of guilt, Gail pushed it aside. She was doing what she needed to do.

"Thanks," she said to Crowley. "Let's go."

He took her hand again, and she winked them to Oliver's house.

Cas had been sitting here for quite a while, just thinking, and looking at Gail's photo. He hadn't taken a single sip of the glass of wine he'd ordered; it had just seemed like the thing to do at a bistro in Paris. And he knew Gail liked the occasional glass of wine; even when she had been an Angel, she'd kept trying to drink it once in a while. Just one of the many quirks about her that he found endearing. So he supposed he'd also ordered it so he could look at it and the empty chair beside him and pretend that she would come back at any moment to sit in the chair, and pick up the glass of wine, smiling at him. Maybe he could pretend that they were back in Las Vegas and she'd gone to the washroom.

He'd always wanted to spend time in Europe, but Cas was finding that it was a lonely road so far. Every time he'd seen something wondrous, he would turn to comment on it, but there was no one there to tell. His hand felt empty without hers in it. He'd gotten so carried away with the physical part of their relationship that he'd forgotten how good her companionship was, too.

Cas had come here after leaving the bunker because he'd wanted to put a considerable amount of distance between them. It was irrational, he knew; he still had the ability to teleport anywhere he wanted at any time, and if he was going to stick to his resolve to stay away, it shouldn't matter where he was. But psychologically, he had thought it would make a difference. And he had always wanted to see some other parts of the world. But now that he was here, Cas didn't know what to do with himself. He felt sad and hollow, and his anger was starting to build, as well. The trouble was, he didn't know who to be angry at. He continued to harbour deep resentment in his heart towards God. His Father had been so full of words of love and praise for Castiel after the tribunal, yet He had set him up to be convicted and executed in the first place, and He had sent the King of Hell to put his breath into Castiel. If it hadn't been for God screwing around with Cas's life, as it seemed like He was always doing, none of this would be happening now. And why did his Father do it? Boredom? Pure entertainment? Who the hell knew?

Then there were the ex-board members. Even though Cas had exacted a measure of revenge on the three most objectionable members, it still wasn't enough. God may have let him go on trial, but it was the board who had voted to convict him and assess the ultimate penalty of death. He had supposedly been their Brother, and they had all served God together for years, but they had turned on him, and they had destroyed him. He knew they had never liked him, but Castiel had never dreamed that their hatred had run that deep. And why did they hate him so much? Because he had preferred Earth and the company of Dean and Sam and Gail to theirs? Well, was it any wonder?

And, while he was being honest with himself, Cas had to admit that a part of him resented Sam and Dean, as well. He knew it made no sense for him to be angry with them for not being there for him during the tribunal. They were humans; they could hardly have come up to Heaven, and he had been held prisoner there throughout the ordeal. But the anger and frustration was there, nonetheless. He had been there for them, helping them, so many times over the past few years, and when he had needed them the most, they hadn't been around. It was childish of him to feel that way, he knew, but he felt that way anyway.

He hated his Brother, too. Castiel had always disliked Crowley, of course, and for good reason; they had been actual brothers at the time of Creation, when Crowley was Cain and Castiel was Abel. And not only had his brother murdered him then, but he'd spent countless centuries trying to do it again. Wasn't once enough? So, Castiel hadn't started it, but he had spent all that time since opposing Crowley as adamantly as he could, and Crowley had spent all that time being an evil, scheming pain in his ass. Even when his Brother had obstensibly performed the only kind act in his entire existence by reviving Castiel after the execution, he had screwed Castiel in the end by getting cute about it. It was the Demon essence that Crowley had purposely put into Castiel that had been the proximate cause of the way he was now. Crowley had thought that he was being funny, but now no one was laughing.

And while he was making a list, Metatron was at or very near the top, as well. It was he who was the most to blame for the state Cas was in now. Metatron was the one who had added those extra ingredients to the potion that was forced down Castiel's throat at the cabin, and he had done it just out of sheer spite. Yes, they'd been enemies for years, but this particular trick of Metatron's had been the sneakiest, most cowardly, most underhanded thing he had ever done. If Castiel had been able to enter Lucifer's cage and then get back out, alive, he would have gone in there and stabbed Metatron again and again, just to get the rage out of his system. To say nothing of the fact that it was Metatron who had actually executed him in the first place.

So Cas had all this anger built up inside of him, and now he had no outlet for it. He had vowed to himself that he would try to stay away from Crowley, and from Hell. Violence begat violence, and he already had enough blood on his hands. And the last blood he'd had on his hands had come from the woman he loved. That had been it for him. Castiel had also promised himself that as long as he was on the Earth, no human would suffer violence at his hands.

He looked at the glass of wine again, then he looked at the photo one more time, touching Gail's face with his hand. What was he even doing here, without her? Saving her, that was what. He had to remember that.

Cas stashed the picture in his shirt pocket and left the patio. It was night now, and he walked through the streets aimlessly, lost in thought. He supposed he would move on, visit some other countries. At least he could see a few more sights while deciding what to do with himself.

A young man walking in the opposite direction bumped into Cas, hard. "Why don't you watch where you're going?" the youth yelled angrily.

"YOU bumped into ME," Cas said, quite reasonably.

"But the man shouted, "You wanna go?" He approached Cas, facing him.

Oh, Cas wanted to go, all right. He started to reach into his pocket for his blade. But then a sudden image of Gail popped into his head. She was laughing, saying he didn't have to whip out his blade for everything. That had been after the incident in Seattle. They'd been arguing, but once he'd followed her to the bar and pulled his blade on that obnoxious drunk man, she had laughed and forgiven him. But she had admonished him for his readiness to take his blade out at the slightest provocation, and it seemed that she was doing it now.

And she was right. It was just a bump. Cas stood down, but he gave the young man a glare. "You don't know how close you just came," Cas told him. Then he walked around the corner and winked out of Paris. The City of Lights felt a little too dark for him.

Gail and Crowley stood outside Oliver's house.

"How would you like to do this?" he asked her.

She smiled grimly. "I'll give him one more chance to cooperate. But I get the feeling we're going to have to scare the crap out of him, instead."

Crowley smiled back. "Now you're talking my language."

Gail walked up to the door and knocked. A moment later, she heard Oliver's voice on the other side, as if he'd been waiting for her to come back. And maybe he had; he was supposedly psychic, wasn't he?

"Go away," he told her. "I meant what I said."

"So did I," she replied. "If you care about your future, you'll let me in."

"Is that a threat?" he asked sharply.

"More like a promise," Gail said.

"You think I'm going to help you after you have the nerve to come here and threaten me?" Oliver said angrily.

"Actually, I do," Gail said, almost cheerfully. She looked at Crowley. "Looks like it's going to have to be the other way," she said to him.

Crowley grinned. He extended his hand and blasted open Oliver's front door, then he looked at Gail, giving her a bow. "Ladies first."

She walked into the house with Crowley right behind her. Oliver stood there, open-mouthed.

"Sorry about that, but I did knock first," Gail said to Oliver. "And now I'd like you to meet a friend of mine. King of Hell, Oliver. Oliver, King of Hell," she said, smiling.

"Get out of my house," Oliver gasped.

"Can't do that, Oliver. Sorry," Gail said, shaking her head. "You had the chance to help me the easy way; now I'm afraid it'll have to be the hard way."

Crowley stepped closer to Oliver, inspecting his face. "So, you're an Atheist who believes in Demons. We could use more like you on our team," he said, smirking.

Oliver made the sign of the cross, and Crowley gave him a look, then looked at Gail. "Isn't it amazing how they suddenly believe when presented with the terrifying alternative?" he said casually.

Then Oliver reached into his pocket and pulled out a vial of holy water. "Leave my house, or I'll pour this on you," he said to Crowley.

"Really?" Crowley said to him. "I'm shaking from fear," he said sarcastically. "In fact, allow me." He grabbed the vial from Oliver's hand, uncapped it, and drank it down, handing back the empty vial. Then Crowley patted his stomach.

Oliver's eyes widened. "Why isn't that burning you?" he asked Crowley, astonished.

"King of Hell," Crowley said mildly. "Though I might need an antacid later."

Gail was amused, but she wanted to get down to business. "So, Oliver, what do you say? Seance time?" she asked him.

He looked at both of them. "Why should I help you? You're the epitome of evil," he said to Crowley, "and you - " he looked at Gail, shaking his head. "You're a succubus."

"I'm what kind of bus?" she quipped, and Crowley had to turn his head to keep from laughing. He wished she hadn't done that; he was trying to be scary here. If he and Castiel were on speaking terms, they could definitely relate on this subject.

But Crowley was getting impatient too, and this guy was starting to get on his nerves. He grabbed Oliver by the shoulder, peering closely at his face.

"You are going to hold that seance, and if you still refuse, I will save my best torture for you when you die. Which may be any minute now," he told Oliver. Crowley looked at Gail. "Do you prefer your medium rare, or well done?" He snapped his fingers and a small ball of flame appeared, suspended in front of Oliver's face.

Oliver looked terrified, but Gail was laughing. "You did not just say that," she said to Crowley, and he shrugged. "Your choice," Crowley said to Oliver calmly. "You're an Atheist; you'll be in my Kingdom, and you'll be there for eternity." He waved his finger, making the ball of flame bounce in front of Oliver's eyes.

"All right!" Oliver shouted. "All right, I'll help you!"

Crowley snapped his fingers again, and the ball of flame disappeared. "There, now, was that so hard?" he said pleasantly.

Cas was in Spain now, and he was at another patio. He wasn't sure why he kept gravitating towards patios; he didn't want a drink, and he knew that all he would do once he sat down was take Gail's photo out of his pocket and stare at it. But he couldn't seem to help himself. There wasn't much else to do now, anyway. It was nighttime, and all of the tourist attractions would be closed.

A young man sitting at the table next to him said, "Hey."

Cas looked up from the photo. "Yes?" he said.

"You wanna see something cool?" the man said to him. He had a laptop computer in front of him on the table, and he motioned to it.

Cas looked at the man warily. Then he rose suddenly, knocking over the chair next to him in his haste. He didn't know why, but he felt panicked just looking at this guy. The man was beckoning Cas to his table, wanting to show him something on the computer, and Cas wanted no part of him. Cas stuffed the photo in his pocket and ran from the cafe.

Cas had gotten a couple of blocks away when he slowed down to a walk. What had THAT been all about? He had no idea. What was going on with him? Castiel had wanted to see Europe for centuries, but now that he was here, everything just seemed weird; wrong, somehow.

He continued to walk down the streets, lost in thought. Maybe he would move on in the morning, try to see some sights. Maybe the sun would bring a fresh perspective.

Oliver had lit the candle and drawn the drapes, and now he came back to sit at the table. He looked from Gail to Crowley and back again. He really didn't want to sit here and hold hands with these two, but he supposed he had no choice.

Crowley smiled at Oliver, seeing the medium's revulsion at the prospect. "I promise not to flirt, too much," Crowley quipped.

Gail grabbed Crowley's hand on one side and Oliver's hand on the other. She was anxious to get things going, and she gave Crowley a look, trying the non-verbal communication she shared with his Brother. You've had your fun; let's just get on with it. He raised an eyebrow to her. It was unclear to Gail whether he'd gotten her message, but he stopped smiling, at least.

Oliver called on Rowena, and the candle snuffed out almost immediately, plunging the room into darkness. A moment later, the pink ball of light appeared above the table.

"My dear, dear son," Rowena said, smiling. "You came to see me."

She was standing behind Crowley, and she stroked his cheek with the back of her hand. He didn't jump, as Dean had, but he did frown. If his mother was trying to get a reaction out of him, she'd have to do a lot better than that.

"Is it just the two of you, then?" Rowena asked, still smiling. "What a cute couple you make. I always thought so." She put her hands on Crowley's shoulders. "Why could you not make it work with this one?" she cooed to him. "Oh. I know," she taunted, answering her own question. She hadn't really expected him to answer anyway. "It's because Castiel is a much better man than you are." Rowena looked at Gail then. "Or, is he, now?"

Gail ignored Rowena's comment; or at least, she tried to. But Crowley was seething. His mother had been belittling him from the day that she had shown up in his den that day out of the blue, claiming that she wanted to be part of his life. But all she had ever done was plot against him, and when Gail had beheaded his mother, she had done him the biggest favour of his existence. Which was probably also a big part of why Crowley had been willing to accompany Gail here today.

"No one to insult in the Netherworld, Mother?" Crowley said in a clipped tone.

"No one as much fun as you, Fergus," she retorted.

Crowley opened his mouth to speak again, to really tell her off, but Gail broke in: "We got the essences," she told Rowena.

"You did?" Rowena said. She was surprised. Quite frankly, she'd thought that Gail would be coming back empty, asking for more ingredients while she tried to think of a way to obtain that one. "And how did you accomplish that, my pet?" Rowena asked Gail.

Gail frowned. "Let's just say it was accomplished." She wasn't about to share any of the horrible details with Rowena, and especially not in front of Oliver. If the medium thought he was horrified now, he'd probably have a heart attack if he heard about Lucifer's cage in Hell. Gail almost smiled at the thought.

Rowena had moved to stand behind Oliver now, so she could look at both Crowley's and Gail's faces. She looked from Gail to her son and then back again. "So why is it the two of you are here today? Where is my eye candy?" she asked them.

"Sam and Dean couldn't make it today," Gail told her.

"Or is it that you didn't invite them?" Rowena shot back. She eyed them speculatively. "Could it be that the two of you wanted to come here alone?" She pretended to sniff the air. "Do I detect a hint of a blood bond, maybe?"

Gail was startled, but when she looked at Crowley's face, she nearly laughed out loud. His mouth had dropped open, and he looked shocked. Now he knew how they frequently felt when he himself imparted information that he should have no business knowing.

"What do you know about blood bonds?" Crowley asked Rowena suspiciously. She was merely a witch, or at least she had been, in life. How on earth could she know about the blood bond between Originals?

Rowena was smiling slightly. "You wouldn't believe what even a reasonably attractive woman can find out in the Netherworld. There are an awful lot of men here, and most of them seem starved for a little female companionship." And while that was certainly true, and Rowena had been able to glean quite a bit of interesting information, she was sick of the Netherworld. Every man here was an old-school misogynist who thought that females were good for one thing only. Rowena had flirted her way through most of those beings with ease, but she was tired of their attitudes. She was so much more than that, and she needed to get back to the land of the living. Gail's cure was her gateway, and Rowena herself was eager to get things going. But she'd had to give the both of them a bit of a hard time first; it was in her nature, after all, and if she didn't, they might get suspicious. And she did find it very interesting that Gail and her son now shared a blood bond. She hadn't known for sure that they did until Fergus confirmed her suspicions by his reaction. How entertaining, she thought. Maybe that was something she could exploit.

But for now, on to the business at hand. She looked at Gail. "Well, since you've gone to so much effort to see me today, and since you have to suffer such objectionable companionship, this time I'll give you two ingredients for the price of one. The blood of a God, and the sword of God. They represent the Contrary Virtues to the Seven Sins: Humility in place of Pride, and Kindness, in place of Envy."

"So, the blood and the sword of God," Gail repeated, wrinking her brow.

Rowena frowned. "I do wish you'd listen, dearie. I said, the blood of A God, and the sword of God. So, the blood of my Bobby will do just fine. How is my dear husband, by the way?"

"Husband?" Gail was so shocked she nearly broke the connection. "What do you mean?"

Rowena smiled warmly. She thought back to the night she'd married the two of them, using the ancient ritual. They'd had a particularly passionate go-round, and they had had quite a lot to drink. When Bobby had passed out afterwards, Rowena had felt so close to him then that she had cut her own arm and painted the symbols on Bobby's bare chest. Then Rowena had murmured the incantation, and they were married. At least, in Rowena's world, they were. Bobby'd had no idea, of course. When he'd woken in the morning with a big head and without Rowena, Bobby had seen the symbols on his chest and had just shaken it off as another wild night with Rowena. She tended to get a bit freaky sometimes when she'd had too much to drink. Bobby had taken a shower and washed the symbols off, and he had not thought about the incident since. But Rowena would never forget it. Bobby had been the love of her life, but she'd known it could never last. Their worlds had just been too different.

And now, Bobby was God. How deliciously ironic.

"I mean what I mean, dearie," Rowena answered evasively. "In any event, his blood should be easy enough for you to obtain, since you're such good friends. One vial will do. And please give him a kiss for me."

Gail was appalled. Rowena and Bobby were married? Why had Bobby never mentioned this little tidbit? Or maybe Rowena had performed some kind of weird ritual on Bobby, and she just thought they were. Gail looked at Crowley, trying to conceal her amusement. God was the King of Hell's stepfather? The jokes just wrote themselves. It was a good thing Castiel wasn't here in his original Angel form, though, or he'd be having kittens right now. Gail sighed. She wouldn't have minded seeing that, actually.

"Fine, we can get Bobby's blood, I'm sure," Gail said. She had to remain focused. "But, the sword of God? What does that mean? The original God's sword? What's that? Where do I find it?"

Rowena frowned again. She was willing to help, but she wasn't going to do Gail's work for her. "My, you're an inquisitive one, aren't you? Yes, the original sword of the original God. As for the rest, well, you're an intelligent girl, or so I've been led to believe. You figure it out. Get some of your holy friends to help you."

Gail gave a short laugh. And which holy friends would those be? Crowley? Metatron? Lucifer? Those were the only "friends" she was hanging around with these days.

Rowena feigned a yawn. "Well, it's late, and you have ingredients to get." She put her hand on Oliver's bald head, and he jumped. "Oliver, just let her come in next time," Rowena cooed. "Otherwise, I'll have to come back here to visit you on my own. And you wouldn't like some of the friends I could bring." She smiled at his reaction, but Rowena had been angry that Oliver had refused Gail. And yes, Rowena knew all about that, too. She could see a lot from her perch in the Netherworld, and now that the veil had been pierced twice, she would be able to see more now.

Oliver was horrified. This had been bad enough, all their talk about God's blood and His sword, but now Rowena was also threatening him with who knows what, or who, from the afterlife. He cursed the day that he had ever let Sam Winchester walk in here.

Rowena moved back over to Crowley, and she kissed him on the cheek. Now he did shrink back. She had never been disposed to show him any motherly affection in life, and he didn't need it from her now. And he was deeply suspicious. His mother had never done anything just to be nice, and she seemed a bit too cooperative about this whole thing. What was in it for her? He would have to talk to Gail about that.

"Take care, Fergus," Rowena said to her son. She knew he hated it when she called him that, but what did Rowena care? Then she looked at Gail. "I'll see you soon, dearie," Rowena said to her. "Enjoy the break; the blood and the sword will be simple compared to what's coming up." She smiled briefly, then the pink ball of flame disappeared and the room was plunged into darkness once more.

Crowley and Gail left Oliver's house, without another word to him. The medium had looked both shocked and repulsed when he'd ushered them out the door, but Gail was fairly confident that the next time she came, he would cooperate.

Crowley snapped them both back to the crossroads, and they stood there looking at each other for a moment.

"So, what will you do now?" he asked her.

She shrugged. "I guess I'll have to go back to the bunker. I need Sam and Dean to call Bobby for me. I can't access Angel Radio any more. And I sincerely doubt that I can just waltz up to Heaven now," Gail said dryly.

Crowley said nothing. He knew that she could actually go up there any time she wanted, even now. She kept forgetting that she was an Original. Although, to be fair, she had been taught almost nothing on the subject. Like Castiel, Crowley sometimes wondered where their Father's head was at. Why confer such a prestigious status on someone and then just leave them high and dry? But Crowley had no desire to tell her that she could go up there. He wanted her to stick around here. Despite having had to put up with his mother, Crowley had had fun on this little adventure with Gail, and he hoped for more of them in the future.

"So, you'll have Bobby's blood," he mused. "But, the sword of God?"

Gail made a face. "I know," she said. "I have no idea how to go about getting that, or even what it is, or where it could be. You don't have any ideas on that, do you?" she asked him hopefully.

Crowley raised an eyebrow to her. He actually did have some pretty extensive knowledge of Biblical lore, but he had no idea where to obtain something like that, and he told her so now.

"OK, well, thanks for tonight, anyway. It was kind of fun, in a strange and disgusting way," she quipped.

Crowley smiled. "Yes. Parts of it were fun. Call me soon, sweetheart." He lingered for a moment longer, then he snapped his fingers and he was gone.

Gail winked back to the bunker, but she stood outside for a minute, gathering up her courage. Sam and Dean would be mad. But now she had two more ingredients to get, and she needed their help to get them. They would wonder how she'd gotten the information, though. She would have to tell them what she had done, and she was sure that they wouldn't be pleased, nor would Bobby. Oh well, what was done was done.

It was full dark now. She was glad she'd missed the sunset. She would never be able to stand out here and look at it, or especially at the sunrise, until she and Cas were reunited. Where was he? What was he doing? Crowley had said that he was OK, but that was all he'd said. She doubted he was really OK, though. How could he be? She pictured his face. She tried to send her love to him telepathically. Hey, they were both Originals too, weren't they? Maybe he would feel it.

She took a deep breath, and winked into the bunker.

Chapter 4 - Depression Kills

It was morning, and Cas was in London now. His sadness was really beginning to set in, and the fact that it had been raining buckets ever since he'd arrived didn't exactly help his mood. He hadn't really cared, initially; the weather perfectly reflected the way he felt inside. He'd been wandering the streets again, allowing himself to get soaking wet.

But eventually, his clothes were so wet that they were weighing him down, and it was getting difficult to keep walking. So he stopped into a coffee shop and sat for a bit, letting the hot liquid warm his hands. Then a strange impulse seized him, and he walked outside with the cup in his hand. The store next door had an awning, and he took shelter there. Why had he just left a nice warm coffee shop to come out here, anyway?

Cas looked in the window of the store. It was a bookstore, he saw with a pleasant surprise. His kind of store. Like Gail, Cas had always loved to read; and also like her, he regretted he hadn't had the chance to do it more often. Well, he guessed he had the time and the opportunity now. Maybe this was serendipity. Reading could help keep his mind occupied, and give him something to do. He was going to stay well away from patios from now on, though. Cas still had no idea what that had been all about, but he had always trusted in intuition. So maybe he'd find a park and sit under a tree. Or, if the rain persisted, he could just go back to the coffee shop.

Cas entered the bookstore and browsed for a while, taking his time. Then he saw the books about the boy wizard that Gail liked so much. She had mentioned them to Castiel before, and also the movies that had been made from them. She and Crowley had even joked about them in the warehouse. Cas had been jealous and angry that she and his Brother shared something he knew nothing about. Well, he had a lot more than books and movies to worry about now, didn't he? Cas would just have to rely on Sam and Dean and Bobby to keep Gail and Crowley from bonding further.

But in the meantime, here were the books, and it was high time that Cas put himself in the loop. Anything Gail liked that much had to be good. The next time they were together, he could talk to her about them, and it would be himself and Gail sharing, then.

Cas picked out the first two books of the series and brought them to the cash register. This would do for a start. When he finished these, he could visit another bookstore.

The cashier was a dark-haired female who bore a slight resemblance to Gail, except that she wore glasses and her hair was longer. Cas took this as a hopeful sign. He would see her again, and sooner, rather than later. The cashier took the books from him and then she yawned widely as she rang in the purchases.

"Sorry, late night," she said to Cas, smiling faintly.

He'd been carrying the cup of coffee the whole time he'd been browsing, and he handed it to her now. "Here. You clearly need this more than I do," he said, smiling back. "I just bought it next door."

She looked at the cup, then at him. "No, I can't take that from you."

"Please. I insist." Cas picked up the bag with the books and put the coffee cup down on the counter.

Her smile became genuine. "I really could use it. Thanks," she said, picking up the cup and saluting him with it.

Cas left the store, feeling both warm and weird at the same time. He was a Demon with anger issues and violent tendencies, but he had just bought books to read and done something nice for a human. What was up with that? And speaking of things that were strange, the rain had just suddenly shut off, and now the sun was shining. No dark thoughts now. He had a park to find, and some reading to do.

Gail was sitting in the kitchen, watching Sam pour cups of coffee for himself and Dean. She had made her apologies to the men, and predictably, they had been angry. They'd been worried sick, they had said, and she couldn't just keep disappearing like that without letting them know what was going on. Gail had read between the lines; they were afraid she had somehow found Cas, and had gone to him. She only wished. She'd been able to resist the urge to call him so far, wanting to be respectful of his wishes, but Gail was sure she would cave soon. She had no intention of reuniting with him, at least not right now, but that didn't mean she couldn't at least make sure he was all right.

But they certainly hadn't been happy when she'd told them what she'd done at Oliver's, and who she had done it with. It had taken her a while, and a whole lot of sweet-talk and begging for forgiveness, but eventually, things were pretty much back to normal. She had gone home, promising to return early in the morning. It had been late, and Sam and Dean needed to sleep.

So she'd gone back to the house and laid down on the bed, moping. She should really put a bar in here, like the one that Cas had given the Winchesters, Gail thought. Then she could just drink and drink, and then maybe pass out, as Crowley had suggested was possible. Wouldn't that be nice. And the only other way to induce sleep in a Demon was clearly unavailable to her right now. She missed Cas's arms around her. She missed him kissing her, and she missed his lips and his tongue on her body. Gail closed her eyes and imagined he was making love to her, slowly and gently. But that hurt too much, so she stopped. That was fantasy land, anyway. Most of their times in this bedroom since Cas had been poisoned had been far from gentle. The marks on her body were proof of that. The parts that Crowley hadn't been allowed to touch were still painful, and she supposed it was just as well that she still had them as reminders. Otherwise, she would just pick up the phone right now and make Cas tell her where he was, and Lord only knew what that might lead to.

So she had lain there all night, depressed and miserable, and then she'd showered, dressed, and shown up at the bunker early, as promised. She needed the brothers now, and she couldn't afford to piss them off.

"Can you call Bobby for me now?" Gail asked Dean. "We can get the vial of his blood, and maybe he'll have an idea about the sword of God."

As Dean was calling Bobby, Sam looked at Gail, frowning. "'The sword of God'," he mused. "You would think that would be self-explanatory, but I can't think of anything I've read that suggests there ever was an actual sword."

"Great," Gail said sarcastically. She sighed. Rowena had said that both ingredients would be easy. What were they not getting here?

Bobby popped into the kitchen. "So, you want my blood, do you? And what do I get in return?" he joked to Gail.

She appeared to consider. "What do you want?" she teased back.

"How about a cure, and then a few quiet months?" Bobby said wryly.

"Sounds good to me," Gail said fervently.

"Ya got a needle, Dean?" Bobby asked him.

Dean did. They'd had some in the weapons room, but after that last incident with Cas, Dean had taken them and locked them up in his room, and he had locked most of the weapons away in a cabinet, too. They hadn't wanted to take any chances. Now that Cas was gone, Dean could probably take them back out again, but Dean thought he'd leave things the way they were for the moment. He didn't like the way that Gail had run to Crowley so quickly to be her hero, and the way that the two of them had stormed into Oliver's place. It was a little bit funny, he had to admit, but it still made him uneasy.

"I'm going to go pull a couple of books, see what I can find out about the sword of God," Sam said, and both of the brothers left the kitchen.

Bobby looked at Gail. "How are you, Gail?" he asked her.

Gail felt a flash of temper. How the hell did he think she was? She was sick of people asking her that; she was depressed, and lonely for Cas, she was sore all over, and how the hell was she supposed to get her hands on God's sword?

Bobby saw the look on her face, and he was no fool. "I looked for you yesterday, but I couldn't see you," he told her. "All I kept seeing was dirty glass, like a soaped-up window. Why do you think that is?" Bobby asked her pointedly.

She looked at him. "Rowena told me she and you are married," she blurted out.

His mouth fell open. "What?"

She told him what Rowena had said, and Bobby's mind flashed back to the morning he'd woken up with all those strange symbols on his chest.

"Look, Gail, I don't know what kind of weird hoodoo thing she might have done while I was sleeping, but I can assure you, we are NOT married," Bobby said, somewhat defensively.

Gail shrugged. "She seems to think you are."

"Well, we're not," he said grumpily.

Dean returned with a syringe kit in his hand. Seeing the looks on their faces, he said, "What? What's going on?"

"Nothing," Bobby said shortly. He rolled up his sleeve and Dean tied off Bobby's upper arm, then he punched Bobby's skin with the needle, starting to withdraw his blood.

"How's Cas?" Gail asked Bobby suddenly. He looked at her. "You may not be able to see me, but I know you can see him," she said tartly.

Bobby frowned. "He left for your sake, Gail. You have to know that."

Yes, yes, she knew. Everybody kept telling her that. But she was sick of hearing that, too.

Bobby sighed. "He's fine, Gail."

"Where is he? What's he doing?" she persisted.

Bobby gave her a half-smile. "Right now, he's sitting in a park, reading," he told her.

"Reading?" she echoed. "What's he reading?"

He told her, and Gail's heart swelled. He was reading her favourite book series! She'd told him he should give them a try sometime, but he never had. She felt glad and sad at the same time.

"And he's got your picture, Gail," Bobby continued. She'd remarked last night that it was missing, and Bobby wanted her to know that Cas had it. "He keeps on looking at it."

Gail felt a stab to her heart. She knew Bobby thought he was being nice, but he was killing her. She felt a flutter in her stomach then. What was she doing here, without him? She couldn't stand it.

As Dean withdrew the needle from Bobby's arm and capped the vial, Gail asked, "Where is he, Bobby?"

Bobby didn't like the look in her eyes. "I'm not gonna tell you that, Gail." And, because he was no fool, he added, "And if you call him, he won't tell you, either. We agreed."

Gail's eyes went a very dark brown. "Oh, you agreed," she said sarcastically. "Like, you were doing the talking, and he was doing the listening, kind of agreed?"

Bobby was annoyed. "I told you, it was his idea, not mine. But, I agree with his decision. You two need to stay away from each other right now," he told her.

"You're not my father," Gail snapped.

"I kind of am, Gail," Bobby said, trying to smile.

But she was in no mood for gentle humour. Who the hell did Bobby think he was? Her stomach hurt, her heart hurt, and he was telling her what she supposedly needed. She needed Cas, that's what she needed.

"No, you're Crowley's father," she spat out. Then Gail got up and stalked out of the room. There. Let him explain that to Dean. Maybe he could tell Dean what Dean needed, too, while he was on a roll.

Gail plopped down in the seat opposite Sam and immediately regretted it. She still had quite a few bruises and abrasions on her lower half, and she'd better not forget that. There was that wake-up call again. She knew, intellectually, that Bobby was right, but emotionally? That was a whole other ballgame. It had been so bittersweet to hear that Cas was reading the books she liked so much, and looking at the photo of both of them while he was doing it. He obviously missed her as much as she missed him, and he was trying to stay connected to her in the only way he could. And all she had here was people telling her she needed to stay away from him. She didn't even have her photo any more, although she wasn't really mad at him for taking it. And why didn't they have more pictures of the two of them together, anyway? Maybe she should grab the one of the actor who played Castiel on the TV show from their living room and take it with her wherever she went. It wouldn't be him, but at least the guy sort of looked like him.

Gail sighed. She supposed she'd have to go back in there and apologize to Bobby in a minute. If she hurried, maybe she could catch the look on Dean's face when Bobby had to tell him what she'd been referring to when she'd made that crack about Crowley.

But, priorities. "Find anything?" she said to Sam.

He was frowning. "Not really. All I keep seeing is Bible quotes, talking about how God doesn't have an actual sword, per se. His most powerful and effective weapons are his words, and his original rules are the sword under which mankind must live."

Interesting, Gail thought. If a little ambiguous. How could you grind up words and put them into a drink? She asked Sam this now.

"Yeah, I know," he said, smiling faintly. "But they talk about the original rules as being the sword."

"Do we grind up the Bible and put it in there?" Gail asked him. Then she smirked. "If so, you'd better do it. I'm Demon enough, as it is."

But Sam didn't even smile. Gail was a little put out by that. Frank would have thought it was funny.

"Let's talk to Bobby and Dean," Sam said. "See what they think." He rose from the table and put a couple of books under his arms to carry with him.

As soon as they entered the kitchen, Gail approached Bobby. "I'm sorry," she said to him. "I just miss Cas so much."

"I know you do, Gail," Bobby sighed. "And yes, thanks to you, I had to explain what you said to Dean, and now I'll have to explain it to Sam, too."

"Sorry," Gail said timidly. But it was kind of fun to see the look on Sam's face as Bobby told him the story, and to see the look that was still on Dean's face now.

Once Bobby was done with his story, Sam filled him and Dean in on what he had been reading, and his and Gail's analyses.

"I doubt you'd have to mash up a Bible and put it in there," Bobby said. "There are a lot of theories that suggest that many Bible stories are made up by humans, for humans."

"But we know that parts of it are true, too," Dean argued. "Look at Cas and Crowley, for instance."

Gail was frustrated. This was too vague, too speculative. Yet Rowena had said that it would be easy. Damn witch.

"Well, at least we have this," Dean said brightly, holding up the vial of Bobby's blood. He rose and walked down the hallway to put it in the safe.

"Yeah, thanks for that, Bobby," Gail said, smiling at him. "I really appreciate it."

"I really am on your side here, Gail," Bobby told her sincerely. "Anything reasonable I can help you with to get the cure, you know I'll do. But you've gotta promise me, no more Demon blood, and no more Crowley. He's not your friend, Gail. We're your friends. And please stay away from Cas, at least for a while."

She looked at him evenly. "All right, Bobby. I promise." But she was thinking that it was really Bobby's fault if he believed her. They all knew that Demons were notorious liars.

Bobby went back up to Heaven, promising he'd call or pop back down if he had any ideas.

Gail sat around with the guys for a while. Sam took to his laptop to do more research and she and Dean pulled some more books out of the library, flipping through them.

After a while, Dean closed the book he'd been looking at and closed his eyes, rubbing his face. "All this reading's giving me a headache," he groused. "Anybody find anything?"

Gail and Sam both shook their heads. Other than what Sam had uncovered earlier, they hadn't found anything that would suggest that an actual sword had ever even existed. So they could only conclude that the sword of God was merely a metaphor, and Gail pointed out for good measure that "sword" was an anagram of "words", anyway. Sam had smiled at that. Yeah, she was a smart one, all right. He regretted not having gone to college with her. They could have had a lot of terrific discussions. Maybe some debates, too. He fantasized a scenario where she was kicking his butt so badly in a debate that he'd had to kiss her just to shut her up. He sighed inwardly. If he and Gail had met years ago in college, the course of all of their lives might have gone so differently.

Dean stood up and stretched. He was getting restless just sitting around. "Let's go shoot some pool," he said to them. "I can teach you how, Gail," he added.

Sam shook his head. "I think we need to stay here until we figure this out," he told Dean.

"If I have to look at one more book, I'm gonna - " Dean started to say, waving his arm at the collection of books in frustration.

"You should go, Sam," Gail told him. "Sometimes a change of scenery can clear your head."

"She's right, Sammy," Dean wheedled. "You can think anywhere."

Sam looked at his brother. He knew Dean was restless, and truthfully, Sam felt like he could use a distraction, too. Sometimes it was a good idea to step away from a problem for a bit; often, the answer came to you when you were focused on something else.

"OK," he said, shutting off his laptop. "Come on, Gail."

"No, I'll stay here," she told them. "You guys go for a while. I'll use the time to think, and I want to read some more of this stuff, anyway. It's fascinating. I've been dying to get into your library for quite some time now."

Sam eyed her. "So you're just going to stay here?" he said evenly. "Not go anywhere else?"

Gail sighed. She'd known that they would be suspicious. "I promise you I won't go anywhere, Sam," she told him. Hey, at least she was telling him the truth. About that.

Sam continued to look at her for a moment, frowning. Dean was jingling the car keys. Sam sighed. "OK, Gail." He took his cell phone out of his pocket and put it on the table in front of her. "Call Dean's number if you need us for anything."

Gail nodded, smiling up at the brothers. "I will. Thanks. As long as you have a lock on the liquor cabinet, I'll be fine," she joked. Funny, though; she'd been thinking about having a drink or seven a lot lately. She supposed it was the Demon influence, or it could just be the stress she'd been living under. But she had something way more important to do once the guys left.

"Go, go," Gail said, shooing them away. She picked up a book, pretending to study it.

The Winchesters grabbed their jackets and left the bunker, and Gail waited a few minutes to make sure they were truly gone before she picked up Sam's cell phone. She turned it on and punched his code into the keypad, unlocking it. He'd given her the code a while back and luckily, he hadn't changed it. And there he was, under Contacts. Also lucky that Sam hadn't deleted him yet. She pushed the button.

Cas was still in the park, and he was still reading. The sun was shining, but the wind had picked up and it was getting quite chilly now. But he scarcely noticed; he was so enthralled with what he was reading. The first book had started out a little slowly for him, and what he was reading was so strange. However,he had persisted, and now he was glad that he had. He had become caught up in the narrative now, and he really wanted to find out what was going to happen next. Funny, he never would have thought that a book series based on witchcraft and magic would captivate him so. Those were very serious things in real life; look at him, as a prime example. But once Cas was able to put that aside and use his imagination to just enjoy the story for the story's sake, he had been able to lose himself in it. Now he was beginning to understand why Gail liked these books so much.

He could feel the wind picking up now, and the temperature had dropped appreciably. Cas supposed he should go back into the coffee shop and get out of the wind. He could keep reading for a while, if he ordered something.

Suddenly, Cas's cell phone rang. He put the book down on the bench and went for his pocket immediately. There were only a couple of people who might be calling his cell, and he'd told them to only call in an emergency. But he had been secretly hoping she would disregard that.

"Hello?" he said cautiously.

"Cas?'

It was Gail. If he wasn't a Demon, Cas would thank Heaven. He'd needed to hear her voice so badly. "Is everything all right?" Cas asked her.

"Relatively speaking," she said, and he could hear the sad smile in her voice. "I miss you so much, Cas."

He sighed. "I miss you, too. Every minute, all the time." Then he smiled. "I hope you're not too angry that I took your photo. It helps me cope."

Gail sighed too. "What are we doing, Cas? We should be together."

Cas gripped the phone a little tighter. He thought so, too. But he couldn't weaken now. He tried to visualize the way she'd looked the last time he had seen her, and the painful marks she'd had all over her body. The ones that he had put there. Could he guarantee that wouldn't happen again if they got together right now? No. No, he couldn't. So he had to stick to his guns, even though it was killing him.

"You know we can't be together right now," Cas said, grimacing. "And you know why."

Gail knew. "It doesn't make it any easier, though," she said, sighing again.

"I know," Cas said sadly. Then he brightened. "Guess what I'm doing right now." He told her about the books he had bought, and that once he'd started reading, he'd had trouble putting the book down.

Gail already knew, of course. Bobby had told her about it. But she was pleased to be hearing it from Cas himself. "So you like them?" she asked him.

"I do," Cas confirmed. "And I'm really glad to have the distraction right now. Next time I see you, we'll have a lot to talk about."

Gail was smiling, but she also felt like crying. And just exactly when would that be? Well, it was up to her to keep pursuing the cure then, wasn't it?

"Do you know anything about the sword of God?" she asked him suddenly.

"The sword of God is the Word," he replied automatically.

"OK, Cas, so what does that MEAN? Sam said the same thing, but..."

Cas's other hand curled into a fist, and he had to restrain himself from shouting into the phone. Here he was, traipsing around Europe, basically homeless, and there Sam was, nice and warm in the bunker, cozying up to Gail. Showing off how smart he was to her.

"Why are you asking me about the sword of God?" Cas asked her, through gritted teeth. He was determined not to mention Sam; she got angry when he expressed his jealousy. To be fair, she had never given him the slightest reason to be jealous, but the Demon was preying on his mind, and it was so hard to be so far away from her.

Gail could hear the tension in Cas's voice, and she realized he was trying to control his temper now. She wondered what it was that was threatening to set him off this time. It could be any one of a number of things. Even though he'd told her that he had been sitting quietly and reading, she was well aware of what was living inside of him, so she knew that the metaphorical weather could still change at any time.

"It's for the cure, Cas," Gail said, trying to ignore his tone. "Rowena gave me two more ingredients, and that's one of them. I already got the other one. She said this one would be easy, but we can't figure out what it is!"

"What was the context?" Cas asked her. "And what was the ingredient you've already gotten?"

"Bobby's blood," she answered. "He came here to the bunker, and Dean took it from him. But she said that the other ingredient was the original sword of the original God. And when I asked her what that was, she got snotty with me. But I guess the fact that her son was there at the time was a little distracting."

Gail clapped a hand over her mouth. Oh, crap. She probably shouldn't have said that.

She was right. "Crowley was there?" Cas said, raising his voice. "What was HE doing there?"

Gail sighed. She hadn't intended to get into that with him, but now she had no choice but to tell him. "I went with Sam and Dean originally, but Oliver turned me away. I guess that extra Demon dose put me over the line with him, or something. So, I had to go to Plan B. I took Crowley over there to scare him into letting me in."

"And Sam and Dean were OK with that?" Cas said, surprised.

"Well...I didn't exactly tell them until after the fact," she confessed. "I just met with Crowley and took him over there, and he more or less convinced Oliver it would be in his best interests to help me." Gail smiled, remembering the look on Oliver's face, and Crowley's comments to him.

Cas could hear the smile in her voice, and he didn't like it one bit. Now that Gail had the most recent blood bond with his Brother, Crowley might pose an even bigger threat than Sam. And here he was, an ocean away.

"I want you to stay away from Crowley," Cas told her. "I don't want you seeing him, especially alone."

Gail had known he would react this way, but she bristled a bit anyway. It was easy for him to dictate terms, wasn't it? She'd done what she had to do at the time. She told him this now.

Cas closed his eyes and counted to ten. He didn't want to argue with her; he'd been so glad to hear from her. But he could just bet that Crowley had enjoyed being alone with Gail, a little too much.

"So, what do you think about this sword of God thing?" Gail asked Cas. She had a pretty good idea what he was thinking, and she'd better try to keep him on topic or they'd be having an argument.

"'The original word'," Cas mused. "Let me think about that for a while."

"OK, Cas. "We'll keep doing research here in the meantime. If worst comes to worst, I'll have to go back and see Rowena again, make her give me more information somehow."

Cas pictured that in his head. Would she go with Crowley, or with Sam and Dean? And how could he just sit here reading, while the vultures were circling? Cas's hand itched for his blade. If any one of those men tried to replace him, he would kill him.

"You would have been proud of me last night," he blurted out. He told her about the incident with the young man, and the fact that he had restrained himself from pulling his blade on the stranger.

Gail was glad to hear that, but: "You've got your blade?" she asked him. "How did that happen?"

"I liberated it from the weapons room when I was packing to leave," he said casually. "I wanted it with me."

Gail frowned. She wasn't sure that was such a good idea. What did he need his blade for? But, like Cas, she didn't want to start an argument. It had been so good just to be able to talk to him.

"I'd better go," she said. "I'm using Sam's cell phone, and he and Dean might try to call me on it. They went out for a little while, but I don't think they completely trust me right now. And maybe they shouldn't," she concluded, feeling half sad and half amused.

"I love you, Gail," Cas said. He closed his eyes, trying to picture her face.

"I love you too, Cas," she answered. There was so much more she wanted to say to him, but she couldn't stand to say anything further. As it was, she'd probably be crying for the rest of the day now.

"Don't forget about me," Cas said. "I'm still here for you. Call me any time you want." He didn't want to hang up, and he didn't want her to, either.

"I'll have to sneak around to do it, but I will," she replied.

Cas frowned. He knew what that meant. Now that he and Gail were apart, the men meant to make sure they stayed that way. The anger started to rise in him.

"'Bye, Cas," Gail said, and she hung up. She was starting to cry now, and she didn't want him to hear her do that. Things were bad enough as it was.

Cas looked at the phone. She was gone. He had a momentary irrational impulse to smash the phone against the nearest tree. Why the hell had he ever thought that this separation was a good idea?

He picked up the book again and tried to get back into the story, but his mellow mood was gone and the Demon was taking over. He pictured Crowley at his most persuasive, telling Gail she had to take another dose of his blood in order to get another ingredient. And Crowley had spoken with his mother now; how did Cas know that he and Rowena wouldn't enter into some sort of devious pact to mess with Gail? It certainly wouldn't be without precedent. And once she had another dose of his Brother's blood in her veins, Crowley would have the upper hand, and Gail would find herself even more drawn to him. Cas pictured Crowley, offering to heal her injuries, slipping his hands under her clothing. What what would happen then? Then, there were Sam and Dean. It sounded as if Gail was spending a lot of time with them, and Cas could picture lots of comforting hugs coming from both brothers. Soon Cas would be forgotten, and Gail would turn to Sam or maybe even to Dean for companionship.

Cas needed to remind Gail that it was him who she loved, and that he was the man she needed to make her happy. He grabbed his cell and hit Sam's number.

"Hi, guys," Gail answered.

Cas frowned. "It's me."

"Oh." Gail was surprised. She had been sitting there, trying not to cry, and she had just barely succeeded. And now Cas was calling back, and she was hearing his voice again.

"Please go to the house," Cas said to her.

Gail misunderstood. "Oh, I've been living at the house, I just came here to get Bobby's blood and do the research," she told him.

"No, I mean, go to the house right now," Cas said.

Gail felt a thrill of excitement. Was he going to come back? "OK, Cas," she said. She hung up and popped out of the bunker immediately.

She was sitting on the couch in the living room when he popped in. She stood, and he rushed to her. They started to kiss, and Cas's tongue was in her mouth immediately. He was breathing heavily as his hands went under her top and into her pants, and he pushed himself against her.

Gail understood his enthusiasm, and she was excited too, but he was being a little too rough in his eagerness.

"Slow down, Cas," she said, putting her hands on his chest. "Please."

He stopped, sighing. "I'm sorry, Gail. I just miss you so much."

"I know. I miss you, too." Gail touched his face, and he put his hand on top of hers, holding it there for a moment. Then he took her hand and slowly licked her palm. This excited her, and she moved in closer to him, kissing him with her tongue.

"They're trying to keep you apart from me," Cas breathed between kisses.

"Not gonna happen," Gail said with a smile. She'd thought it would be funny to imitate Dean, but she hadn't realized how jealous and angry the Demon was making Cas feel right now, and he wasn't amused.

"It's already started," Cas said angrily.

"No, it hasn't," Gail argued. "YOU left ME, remember?"

She was right, of course, but the Demon wasn't in the mood to be reasonable. Cas started to lift her top. He was going to remind her why she needed him. But his hands froze when he saw her stomach. All of his marks were gone.

Gail saw where he was looking. Crap. "Crowley did a bit of healing there," she told him. Cas's eyes raised to hers, and they went dark purple immediately. "But that was it," she added quickly. "Nowhere else. I swear."

Cas's look was as dark as his eyes. He'd be finding out about that in a minute, and she had better not be lying.

"You let him touch you?" he asked her quietly. Then he grabbed her by the arms and pushed her against the wall.

At least Crowley's touch had been gentle, Gail thought resentfully. But she'd better not say that out loud. His fingers were digging into her now. Crowley had healed the marks on her arms, too; now she'd have new ones.

He had her against the wall, and he let go of her arms, grabbing her hand and putting it down his pants. Then he started to undo his pants. "It's you and I who should be touching," he said.

But his voice was angry, and Gail was nervous now. She really wanted him to touch her, but the moment his fingers went there, she would let him do anything he wanted to her. She knew that by now. And he was being rough, and he seemed mad. She thought they'd had a pretty good conversation on the phone, but this was a little disconcerting. But what had she thought she was working so hard to cure, anyway? Gail knew what he was like now.

She took her hand out of his pants and used both of her hands to stop him from undoing hers. "Maybe this isn't such a great idea, Cas," she said. His eyes narrowed. "Why not?" he asked her. Gail sighed. "I don't know. You just seem kind of...angry."

Cas let out a breath. He WAS angry. Didn't she get it? The campaign to break them up had already started. And now she wouldn't even allow him to express his love for her. What was her problem? He knew she liked it. Maybe he should just proceed anyway.

He tried to open her pants again, but Gail said, "No, Cas. Let's just sit down and talk for a minute. I want to find out what's going on with you."

What was going on with him? She was making him crazy, that was what was going on with him. He gave up on trying to undo her pants and drew his arm back, as if winding up for a blow.

Oh, God, here it came. He was finally going to do it. He was going to hit her. A part of her had wondered when it was going to come to that. Gail narrowed her eyes and braced herself, waiting for it. Then, that would be it. They would be done. Once he did whatever he was going to do to her and left, if she was still alive, she would pack the rest of her things.

Cas punched the wall beside her head, and Gail jumped. He had never intended to hit her, Cas thought, but he had seen the look on her face, and that had made him angry, too. How could she even think that he would ever strike her? Really? How? Cas asked the Demon. You've done everything to her but that, haven't you? Was it any wonder she'd thought that would be next?

Cas stepped away from her. He couldn't stand to see that look on her face any more. He looked wildly around the room and grabbed the lamp from the end table, throwing it and smashing it against the opposite wall. Then he stood there, breathing heavily, trying to get his temper under control.

"See, that's why I can't have nice things," Gail quipped nervously. She couldn't help it; it had just slipped out. But they'd needed a tension-breaker, here. She had jumped again when he broke the lamp. Cas needed to be defused.

He turned slowly to look at her. "No," he said seriously. "That's why I can't be here. That's why I can't be with you." He gave her an anguished look, and winked out of the house.

For a moment, Gail just stood there, stunned. Wow. Absence was supposed to make the heart grow fonder, wasn't it? But this anger of his was a bit of a new wrinkle, especially when it came to her. Maybe it was building up in him, because he had vowed not to hurt anyone from now on. She'd better double her efforts to get the cure, or things were just going to go from bad to worse.

Cas went back to the park in London, but he couldn't sit right now. He paced back and forth in front of the bench, frantic. What the hell was wrong with him? Yes, he knew; the question was obvious, and so was the answer. But seriously, what was the matter with him? He'd supposedly gone there just to see her for a few minutes, and to reinforce their connection. And what had he done instead? He had behaved exactly like the monster he was trying to fight. Maybe he had done it on purpose, so she would know that it was best that he stayed away. Or maybe he hadn't been the one in control when his hands had touched her body. Whatever the case may be, he had also just conclusively proven to himself that he had no business even being in the same vicinity as Gail right now.

Cas sat on the bench and put his head in his hands. The anger had receded for the moment, and now the depression came. He'd beaten back the Demon again with the guilt over what he had just done, but it was a hard lesson that he'd just taught himself. If the cure was not finished soon, Gail would come to hate him, if she didn't already.

And while he was thinking clearly, he'd better start working on the puzzle she had given him. The original sword of the original God. He should be able to get it, if he could just focus.

Cas stuffed the books into his jacket pocket alongside his blade. Hopefully the next time he reached in there, his hand would land on the correct object. Gail was going through so much for him. If she still cared at all about him after what had just happened, he couldn't let her down.

He thought of a place to go that might put him in the right frame of mind for the puzzle he had to solve, and he smiled grimly. He was a violent Demon, thinking about the sword of God, with books about witchcraft in his pocket. If Gail were still speaking to him now, she would appreciate the irony.

Gail stood looking at the mess in the living room. No way she was going to try to pick up the shards of broken glass with her bare hands; look what had happened the last time. Did she even have a broom and a dustpan? She had no idea.

She wished it would just clean itself up. She had to get back to the bunker, before Sam and Dean discovered that she was gone.

As soon as Gail thought that, the golden glow lit up her arm, and she looked at it curiously. What the hell? She tried waving her arm at the mess on the floor, just for fun. The vase repaired itself instantly, and it flew back to the table where it had been sitting before Cas had thrown it. She watched this, open-mouthed, then waved her arm at the wall Cas had punched, damaging the plaster. The cracks disappeared, and the wall was back to normal.

Gail was bemused. So apparently, this was another one of her Original powers. She'd take it, but it was a little bit sexist, to be honest. It would be nice if Cas could do that, too. If he was still here, and if he was himself, she would have had him clean it up, just on general principles.

Now that she was able to step back from her fright a bit, Gail told herself that she had been ridiculous. Cas would never have hit her. She'd seen him angry before, many times, and she'd been living with him the way he was now for quite a while. If he had been going to do that, he would have done it by now. But she hadn't liked the way he had acted, nor the way she'd felt about it. She had been hoping to have a loving reunion with him, and it had all gone horribly wrong. She'd better hurry up and get the cure, or they could never live together happily again. She didn't even know if that would be possible any more, anyway. How often could she go through something like that and still be able to look at him with only love, and not apprehension and fear?

She sighed heavily, winking herself back to the bunker.

Sam was frantic. He'd raced around the bunker, checking every room and calling Gail's name, but she was gone. She'd promised him she wouldn't leave. Had Cas come back and kidnapped her somehow? Had Crowley? But that was impossible; neither Cas nor Crowley could enter the bunker on their own.

Dean just sat in the library area, shaking his head. Sammy had rose-coloured glasses on when it came to Gail. Though not as bad as Cas, she was a Demon now too, at least Demon enough to be able to be held in a Devil's Trap. She had lied to Sam, pure and simple.

Gail popped back into the library area, making Dean jump. She almost smiled, but she figured she'd better not. She was well and truly busted, and Dean was looking angry.

"Sorry, Dean," she said sheepishly. He stood from his chair and walked over to her, staring her down.

"Out shopping?" he said sarcastically. "Bite to eat, maybe?" Dean turned his head and yelled to Sam, "You can stop. She's back."

Sam rushed into the room. "Gail. Thank God," he said. "Where were you?"

"What are you guys doing here so soon?" she asked them, stalling.

"Sammy said he had a feeling," Dean said to her. Sam and his "feelings". Gail and hers. The two of them drove him nuts. The only reason Dean went along when one of them got one of those was that they'd always been right. And obviously, Sam had been right about this one, too.

"So, how is he?" Dean asked her.

Well, there was nothing she could do about it now, and she couldn't think of a plausible lie. "Not so great, Dean. Not so great," Gail said sadly. "I did tell him about the sword of God, though. He's going to think about it, too."

"Did he hurt you?" Sam asked quietly.

"I don't want to talk about it," Gail told them. "I'm sick of talking about that. Suffice it to say it won't be happening again any time soon."

Sam started to approach her. He thought he would comfort her; he could tell that she was upset.

"Stop," Gail said, holding her hand up. "Just stop." If one more man got in her face today, she was going to lose it. "I'm going to my room to think, and to do some more research. If we don't have the answer in a few hours, I'm going back to Oliver's. I don't have the time, or the patience." She picked up a few books and stalked down the hallway, leaving an open-mouthed pair of brothers behind her.

Castiel was now in Vatican City, of all places. If he was going to figure out what the original sword was, he had to be in the right frame of mind.

It was nighttime there, and he started walking up the steps of the first cathedral he had come to. Would the place even be open? No matter; all he could do was try the door. He'd look at the stained-glass windows and all the artifacts and try to work on the solution.

He tried the front door and it swung open. Castiel stepped inside and sat in the back pew, looking around. He grabbed a Bible and started leafing through it. Bobby had been mostly right about what he had said to Gail about the Bible having been written by humans for humans. But his Father had planted the ideas in those humans' minds, and also, some of the stories were absolutely true. All Castiel would have to do was turn to Genesis to see his own family tragedy outlined there.

But after a few minutes, Cas started feeling queasy. His body started to shake, and he broke into a cold sweat. What was he doing here? His kind didn't belong in a place like this. He wasn't an Angel any more, and he couldn't behave as if he were one. All the statues and all the Saints depicted in the stained-glass windows seemed to be staring at him, condemning him. How dare he walk in here, as if he had the right any more?

He dropped the Bible, and it fell to the floor with a loud thump that echoed throughout the place. Cas got up and ran outside, getting halfway down the steps before he could breathe again. He sat down, putting his head between his knees, waiting for the nausea to pass.

A moment later, Cas felt a hand on his shoulder and he jumped, startled. He went to his pocket for his blade.

"You won't need that," the stranger said.

Cas's hand froze as he looked at the man. He was an older fellow, balding, wearing ordinary clothes. But he was smiling gently, and looking at Cas with kind eyes. Cas took his hand out of his pocket as the man sat on the steps next to him.

"I saw you drop the Bible in there," the man said mildly, still smiling. "Or, rather, I heard it drop. Then I saw you rush out of there, and I just thought you might need some help."

"You can't help me," Cas replied.

The stranger shrugged and said, "You never know. Try me."

Cas just stared at him. He knew the guy was just trying to be nice, but Cas wished he'd just leave him alone. Cas had some thinking to do.

"My name is Francis," the man said, and he put out his hand for Cas to shake. "I come here often at night when there's no one else around. I find it clears my head. Gives me a chance to think."

Cas shook with him, but didn't offer his name. That's what I'm trying to do, Cas thought, and he frowned.

"What is your problem?" Francis asked him. "Maybe I can help you with it, Castiel."

Cas's mouth dropped open. He hadn't given Francis his name, and he certainly wouldn't have given his Angel name even if he had. He didn't go by that any more.

"I'm sure I can help you, if you'll let me," Francis said. "You do have friends, Cas, and they care a great deal about you."

Wait. This man's name was Francis, and they were outside of a cathedral in Vatican City. And this man seemed to know all about Cas. Was he the real deal, or was this just a parlour trick?

"Pope Francis?" Cas asked him quietly.

The man dipped his head slightly. "At your service, Castiel."

Cas looked around. "Where are your bodyguards?" he asked his companion.

"Sleeping," the Pope replied. "I like to come here alone, and they need their rest."

"Well, what if someone were to see you? Attack you?" Cas persisted.

"What are you saying, Cas?" Francis asked him, his smile fading a bit.

Cas smirked inwardly. Crowley would probably have liked to have seen that. But Cas had no bone to pick with the Pope. In fact, he'd said he could help, hadn't he? "Do you know what the original sword of God could be?" Cas asked the Pope.

Francis brightened again. "Of course I do. It's the Word. The Tablet that held the original rendition of the Ten Commandments."

Really? Cas thought. Interesting. Why had he not thought of that? Castiel had more than a passing acquaintance with those same Commandments, didn't he? His tribunal had ostensibly been based on them, after all. The Demon was trying to get out now, whispering to him that Cas should take out his blade and kill the Pope. He represented guys like Xavier here on Earth. The kind of holier-than-thou jerks who'd used the Ten Commandments against him and Gail to persecute them.

But Cas couldn't do it. This man was too benevolent, and he was helping Cas. "I don't suppose that Tablet still exists," he said dryly.

Francis was smiling again. "Of course it does. In fact, it's on display at the Museum of Theology in Rome. There are a lot of skeptics who say it's a fake, but I don't believe it is. Maybe you and your friends should go and see it for yourselves." His eyes were twinkling now. "But maybe you should go after hours, when the crowds have gone. And, Cas..."

"Yes?" Cas said, enthralled now.

Francis leaned in close. "Don't take too much. A few scrapings should do. It is a priceless artifact, after all."

Then he got to his feet, looking down at Cas, who was gaping up at him. "Get well, Castiel. We need you," the Pope said. He put his hand on Cas's forehead then, and Cas felt the warmth envelop his body.

"You'll still need the cure," Pope Francis told him, "but our Father wanted to take the worst of the affliction from you. The urge for violence is now gone." He turned to leave, then turned back to look at Cas one more time. "But I'd work on that temper, if I were you," the Pope said, smiling. Then he walked away.

Cas just sat there, stunned. Had that really just happened?

He rose slowly, wondering what to make of it. Had God sent the Pope to Castiel, trying to send him a message to keep pursuing the cure? He had certainly been extremely helpful when it came to providing the information about the sword of God. Cas felt stupid, ashamed he hadn't thought of that himself. But even if he had, he wouldn't have thought that the thing still existed after all this time. Well, apparently it did, and it was here, in Rome.

Cas took his cell phone out of his pocket and called Dean.

"Cas," Dean said, when he saw who it was. "Where are you? And what did you do to Gail today?"

Cas grimaced. So they'd found out that he and Gail had seen each other. But Gail obviously hadn't told the brothers much about their encounter. "We had an argument," he said simply. Then Cas brightened. "But it's OK now. You'll never believe what just happened to me!" He told Dean all about his meeting of Pope Francis, and about the sword of God and where it could be found.

"And there's something else Pope Francis did for me, and it's extremely important," Cas went on to say. "Could you please put Gail and Sam on speaker?"

Dean considered this. Gail had been so upset earlier. He and Sam hadn't even been able to give her holy hell about seeing Cas when she wasn't supposed to, because she'd gone straight to her room and hadn't come back out.

"Please, Dean," Cas said. Actually, this would be a good test for him. Cas could see if the Pope had really been able to take the violence out of him. Though he'd said that Cas would still have his temper. But then, he'd always had that; it was the bloodlust that had really been the main problem. He'd be very glad to be rid of that.

Dean sighed. "OK, Cas, hang on. They need to hear this." And it was true. Dean needed to put his anger aside and think of the greater good here. If what Cas was saying was true, they had another ingredient. Maybe.

As Dean left the phone to get Sam and Gail, Cas tried an experiment. He closed his eyes and deliberately pictured Dean going to get Gail and then kissing her, giving Gail his tongue and then receiving hers. Dean undressing Gail and running his tongue down her body, making her whimper. OK. Cas had better stop there, before he lost it. But interestingly, even though he still burned with jealousy, wanting to come through the phone and punch Dean, Cas had not thought of killing him. That had to be progress, right?

When Dean came back with Sam and Gail in tow, Cas told them the story, and Cas emphasized that Pope Francis had laid his hand on him, removing the urge for violence from him. Well, deadly violence, anyway, Cas amended to himself. But what guy wouldn't want to punch another guy in the face if the second guy tried to seduce the first guy's girl? Cas would just have to keep his jealousy at bay until he received the cure. It was the Demon that made him think like that, anyway.

"So, we have to take a sample from the original Ten Commandments Tablet?" Sam mused aloud. "Wow."

Gail was sitting back in her chair. Wow was right. She was annoyed she hadn't thought of the Tablet, though, and she was sure that Sam was, too. But who knew that it would even still exist? Like Cas, she had a bit of a problem with the idea of the Ten Commandments, though. She wondered if the original words were still legible. She'd love to get a look at Number 7, and then go to Hell and throw the Tablet in Xavier's stupid face. Let him put an interpretation on that.

"Remember your heist movies, Sammy?" Dean smirked. He was thinking this actually could be kind of fun. He hadn't seen any action in a while, and he hadn't done anything illegal in even longer. But hey, even the Pope had approved of what they were about to do; in fact, he'd encouraged it. But the Italian cops might not feel the same way.

If Cas could just behave himself long enough, the four of them could team up and get this thing done, Dean thought. Of course, there were a couple of issues. He and Sam had been about to come down on Gail hard for getting together with Cas, and now he and his brother were about to reunite them. But Dean resolved that he and Sam would watch them the whole time that they were there. There was no way Cas was going to get to see Gail alone any more, not on their watch. So if he had an agenda, Cas could just forget it.

Cas was thinking of that very same thing. With his and Gail's powers and the Winchesters' experience in less-than-legitimate means of entry, Cas actually thought that accomplishing this mission might be easy. But he was eager to see Gail again. She hadn't said much over the phone since her intitial greeting, which had been very cool. Cas was anxious for another chance with her. Now that he no longer felt the urge for violence, he was sure he wouldn't be too aggressive with her, either. But he needed her love. At the very least, he needed to be able to look into her eyes and hold her hand. Her photo was becoming worn at the edges because he was looking at it so much, gripping it with his hands as though it were a life preserver. She just had to give him another chance.

Gail was excited to be on the verge of getting another ingredient, but she was nervous about breaking into a museum after hours. That kind of stuff only happened in the movies, didn't it? She had never done anything remotely like that before, and it was strange to even contemplate. She tried to remember that she and Cas had otherworldly powers, though, so it wasn't as if they would be sitting in an Italian prison at the end of the night. Or, if they were, at least she and Cas wouldn't be in it for long, she smirked to herself. Maybe they'd let Sam and Dean cool their heels for a couple of hours, see how THEY liked being locked up. She wondered if she could finagle a little alone time with Cas. But did she even want to, after that fiasco earlier? However, if it was really true, if God had removed the violence from Cas through the Pope, that could be something she would like very much. Sex, an intricate plot, and a heist in a foreign country. They could have the makings of their own blockbuster movie here.

Sam and Dean had the money to fly overseas now, but they didn't feel like they had that kind of time, and the jet lag might make them feel less alert. So they called on Bobby to come down and send them. Gail didn't know if she could teleport all three of them that far, and she was reluctant to try. She could land them all in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, she'd joked. And truthfully, she didn't know how much juice she would need for the break-in. Bobby was God; he could send them all into the solar system, if need be.

Sam was looking at the museum schematics on his laptop, trying to bring up the floor plans, any information he could. Cas would do a recon, since he would be there ahead of them, but he wouldn't try to pop in there alone, he'd told them. The Winchesters were sure the place would have some above-average security measures, considering what they were about to go there and see. Though many people thought that the Tablet was a fake, there were obviously those who didn't, and the Tablet wouldn't just be sitting out there in the open. As it was, they were lucky it was even on display, in any form.

"So?" Dean said to Sam, as Bobby arrived. "How's it look?"

Sam frowned. "Not too bad, I guess. But I don't know if everything they've got is on here, of course. They'd be kind of crazy to list all of their security features. But most of it is standard stuff. Alarms, guards, and dogs."

Gail shivered. She hated vicious dogs. Which was kind of ironic, when she thought about it, as she had the power to make animals go on the attack. But these were already attack dogs; they wouldn't need her help to do what they did best. Great.

Sam shut off the laptop and stood with Gail and his brother, facing Bobby. Dean had a duffel bag in his hand which contained various implements that they may or may not need for the break-in, but they had no luggage. They weren't going there to sightsee, they were going there to get the scrapings from the Tablet, then come right back so they could find out what the other ingredients were and get to work on them. They would still have five more to get after this, and Rowena had said they wouldn't be as easy as these two. Well, getting Bobby's blood had been easy, but a European museum heist? Rowena considered that easy?

"Be careful, and come home safe," Bobby told them. Then he gave them the push, and they were gone.

Gail and the Winchesters arrived on the street in front of the museum, and they crept around the corner to where Cas was standing, in the shadows of the building.

He smiled when he saw them, and his face lit up when he saw Gail. She did not approach him for a kiss, as she normally would have done, just waggled her fingers at him in greeting. He could understand that. Well, he would make it up to her now, by working with them all as a team member to get this ingredient, and then he would make it up to her further by being gentle and loving with her. But not too gentle; he knew she liked a little boldness from him. But, just a little.

The museum building was surprisingly small for a place which housed such an important artifact, Cas told them. There were only two guards, and each had a team of two Dobermans on a leash. Cas was sure the perimeter of the building was alarmed, and then there would be extra protection around the Tablet, once they got inside.

"OK, I'm sure we can grab the guards from behind," Dean said, "and knock them out for a while. But what about the dogs?"

"I can tame any animal," Cas said quietly, and they all looked at him. Since when?

Gail in particular was looking closely at him now. Why had that never been mentioned in their sessions with Crowley? She knew they'd only scratched the surface, but why had it not been brought up then? Especially when it had come out in conversation that she had the power to make any animal go on the attack. She'd have thought that would have been the perfect segueway. It was kind of interesting that she and Castiel had that point/counterpoint thing going on when it came to those powers, though. She wondered if they had others like that, or if any of the Originals did, with each others' abilities. But her mind was wandering now; she could think about that later.

"When were you going to tell us about that?" Dean asked Cas.

"Why, do you have a vicious gopher in your back yard, or something?" Cas retorted, and Sam suppressed a smile. He was still royally pissed at Cas, but that had been a pretty good one, especially by Cas's standards.

But Cas was wishing Dean would leave it alone. He had taken to looking at the markings on his blade during this journey at times he'd been alone, and Cas had slowly been able to decipher a couple more of his abilities. But the brothers didn't know about that yet, and they certainly didn't know about the private sessions Cas and Gail had been having with Crowley. And now was not a good time to enlighten them. Also, Gail would be angry. He knew that she knew next to nothing still about her own blade, and her own abilities. Cas had offered to help her, but he had done nothing in that regard. It wasn't fair to her. Castiel and Crowley could read the language; she could not. But then, she hadn't had the years of training that Castiel had, and it still took him ages just to get through one set of symbols. He would have to make that up to her too, when the wardens actually allowed him to spend some time with her.

Dean rolled his eyes at Cas's remark about the gopher, and then he got back to business. "I've got wire cutters in case they're old-school alarms, and Sammy can disable any motion detector alarms."

"I can also bypass a keypad system," Sam added.

Gail looked at them incredulously. "What were you guys in another life, cat burglars?" she asked them.

"You'd be surprised at all the know-how we've picked up over the years," Sam said cheerfully.

"OK, let's go," Dean said. This could be kind of fun.

Cas and Gail offered to just pop into the museum, but Sam shook his head. "No, we'd better do it the old-fashioned way, until we know what kind of alarm systems we're dealing with," he told them. "We'll take care of the guards and the dogs first, and then we'll be able to get a closer look at the building itself." He motioned to Gail, telling her, "Get behind me. We'll have to wait till Dean and Cas take care of that part."

Cas glared at Sam momentarily. If anyone should be protecting Gail, it should be him. But they needed him to tame the dogs. And at least when Cas had felt the now-familiar stab of jealousy, he hadn't felt the urge to return the favour by stabbing Sam with his blade. Progress, to be sure.

Dean and Cas crept around the perimeter of the building. They took care of one guard-and-dogs team, then the other. Dean soaked a handkerchief with chloroform and held it to each guard's face as Cas talked to the dogs, getting them to lie down and go to sleep. Gail smiled in spite of herself. What she'd just witnessed certainly explained a lot. Apparently, he had the same ability when it came to her. At least, he could nearly always charm her into laying down for him, anyway.

Once the coast was clear, Sam and Gail moved forward, and Sam and Dean inspected the exterior of the building more closely. It turned out the museum had both types of alarms. Dean cut the wires to one, and Sam disabled the motion sensor alarm.

"We should be good to go now," Dean said. "You guys pop in and unlock the door for us," he said to Cas and Gail.

Cas took Gail's hand and they popped inside. He looked at her. "While we have a moment alone, I just wanted to apologize, from the bottom of my heart, for my behaviour earlier," he said to Gail.

"OK, Cas," she said. But she'd said it too quickly and too offhandedly, and Cas didn't believe she had accepted his apology.

"That's it?" he said, trying to smile.

Gail found her lips starting to twitch. "No," she told him, "but we have a job to do now. We can fight about it later on."

"I don't ever want to fight with you, Gail," he said seriously.

"Well then, maybe you need to watch that temper of yours," she retorted.

Incredibly, Cas smiled. "That's what the Pope said," he told her.

Now Gail did smile. "There's a hell of a joke for that punchline, I'm sure," she quipped. "I'll have to get back to you on that." Impulsively, she threw her arms around him and kissed his cheek. Surprised, Cas put his arm around her waist and gave her a gentle squeeze.

There was a knock from the other side of the door. "Umm...trying to pull a heist here," Dean said dryly. "You guys know we can hear you, right?"

Gail laughed, then clapped a hand over her mouth. Damn Dean for making her laugh. They still didn't know if there was anyone else in the building, and the sound had echoed. Cas moved in front of her in case any humans or dogs came rushing out, but things remained quiet.

Gail unlocked one side of the double doors and Cas unlocked the other, and the brothers came in. Sam reached into his pocket and unfolded the floor plan he'd printed out before they'd left. He shone a small flashlight on the paper. "It's in Wing B, upstairs," he said.

They walked quietly up the stairs and into Wing B, and it wasn't too hard to figure it out from there. The Tablet eerily resembled the Demon Tablet, Gail thought. They approached the glass case it was in, peering closer. The case was padlocked, and had a keypad alarm on the side.

"The sword of God," Cas murmured. He couldn't believe he was looking at the original stone Tablet of the Ten Commandments, and that it had survived for all this time on Earth, pretty much intact, albeit in two pieces. If he had been the Angel Castiel, he might have fallen on his knees in front of it. But the way he was now, he was surprised that just looking upon it didn't disintegrate him where he stood. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm sorry for everything I am." The Demon inside him was disgusted by that, but It was also laying dormant for now. It was curious to see if they could actually pull this off. And what they were planning to do was, essentially, the desecration of a supremely holy object. It didn't have a problem with that.

Sam disabled the keypad alarm with a small gadget he'd brought from home. He and Dean had had to resort to underhanded methods to get what they needed on cases from time to time when they could not obtain cooperation, and Sam had learned how to bypass nearly every kind of system by now. Dean shook his head, impressed with his brother. Lucky they weren't criminals, or they probably could have had both the Crown Jewels and the Hope Diamond by now. "Way to go, Sammy," he said softly, and Sam grinned. "Piece of cake," he said.

Dean cut the padlock off, and he and Sam tried to lift the glass case. But it only lifted partway, and then they couldn't budge it any more.

"What the hell?" Dean said, puzzled. "Why can't we move it any more than that?"

He and Sam put everything they had into it, but to no avail. Sam's brow was furrowed. "Must be some kind of a failsafe," he said, "but I've never seen anything like it before. I don't see anything keeping it from being raised further."

Dean looked at Gail. "You've got the smallest hands and arms out of any of us," he said to her. "Do you think you can get in there far enough to scrape the stone?"

"I can try," she said. She looked down at her hands. They were shaking. She tried to calm herself down. She could do this.

Dean handed her a chisel and a small plastic container. "You're on, then," he said to her.

Gail looked at Cas. "I feel like I should ask forgiveness for this," she said to him.

He smiled faintly. "We all probably should," he told her.

But her hands were still shaking, and it didn't help matters any when Sam said, "Try not to drop anything inside the case itself. There may be a silent alarm we don't know about."

She raised an eyebrow to him. "Really, Sam? But, no pressure, right?" Now her hands were shaking even more. "Thanks, Sam. Thanks a lot," Gail said sarcastically.

Cas's hands closed over hers. "You'll be fine," he said to her. "Believe in yourself. I believe in you. I always have."

Gail smiled up at him. Then she moved to the case and stuck her hands in it, before she lost her nerve. She maneuvered her wrists through the gap and wriggled her arms in as high as she could without touching the sides of the glass. She could just reach the bottom of the Tablet, and she scraped away with the chisel as delicately as she could, until a couple of fragments dropped into the plastic container. That would have to be enough. Her arms were getting fatigued now, and she still had to finesse her way out of there.

Once her arms were out, Gail took a deep, shaky breath. Sam and Dean replaced the glass as Gail took the lid to the container out of her pocket and screwed it on, tight. "Another item for the safe," she said proudly, giving the container to Dean.

But then a loud, strident alarm started to go off in the building. Crap! Had they missed one, or had she triggered it? But why would it just be going off now? The doors to the wing slammed shut.

"They must have had some kind of alarm attached to the Tablet itself," Sam said. "What are we going to do now?"

Cas and Gail looked at each other, smiling. And Sam was supposed to be the smart one. "We have an app for that," Gail said, thinking of Crowley when she said it. They grabbed the brothers and winked themselves out, just as more guards stormed into the room.

Cas had been driving, so to speak, and he had taken them all to the Trevi Fountain. "It's been said that anything you wish for here will come true," he told them. He reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a coin for each of them. "Let's see if that's true." Cas threw his coin into the fountain. Gail followed suit, kissing hers first; then, after a shrug, Dean and Sam threw theirs in as well.

They all stared at the fountain for a moment, then Gail quipped, "This is kind of like the end of Ocean's Eleven."

"Let's go home and raise a glass to one successful heist," Dean said. He and Sam looked at Cas. "Sorry you can't come with us," Dean said to him, his smile fading. "This was just about the weirdest thing we've ever done together, but it felt like old times for a minute."

Cas smiled at Dean. "Yes, it did. We'll have those again, Dean, I promise."

"Well then, wouldn't they be new times?" Sam said. They both looked at him, and Gail stood back, smiling at the men. Her men. Maybe she should plan a heist every day, if the guys could just be like this with each other again. It was moments like this which kept her going when the quest for the cure got to feel too hard, but there had been too few of them lately.

Suddenly, Cas reached up and put one hand on each of the brothers' foreheads. "Sorry Gail won't be able to attend your party," he said to them. "Save her a spot." Then he pushed them back to the States, and as he turned around to look at Gail, his eyes were violet.

She took a step back, but he reached out his hand to her. "I only wanted to spend a few minutes alone with you, that's all," Cas said softly. He was distressed to see that her first reaction had been fear, but he guessed he had earned that. It was time to earn some of her love back, if he still could.

"Let's take a walk," he said to her. "Please, Gail. We can talk about the books, or about anything you want. Please."

She took his hand.

Dean was cursing a blue streak as he and Sam appeared back at the bunker.

"That sneaky, lying Demon son of a bitch!" he fumed, throwing the bag down on the library table in disgust.

Sam was already calling Bobby on the phone. He told their friend that they had been successful in obtaining the pieces of Tablet, but: "Cas double-crossed us. He sent us back here, but he kept Gail there with him!"

Bobby was concerned. He had been watching, but once they'd gotten to the fountain, everything had gone opaque. "I'll have a look, Sam, see what's going on with them." He put the phone down and concentrated again. When he finally got the picture, he picked the phone back up. "It's OK, Sam, they're just walking and talking. I'll keep checking, and if I see anything that worries me, I'll go there immediately."

Bobby hung up, frowning. It all looked very innocent right now, but he would have to keep an eye on Cas. He might be an ocean away, but he was still a Demon, and he still had his powers. And he had the power of charm and persuasion when it came to Gail. The boys had told Bobby what Cas had said about his encounter with the Pope, but Bobby wasn't necessarily buying it. They only had his word for it that the encounter had even taken place.

Right now, Bobby could see that they were walking through the streets of Rome, hand in hand, as they'd always been. But he knew that the mood could change at any moment with the way that Cas was now. Bobby sighed. They were looking all "tween" right now, but who knew? He used to tease them about that. But he would give an awful lot now to have those days back. An awful lot.

Cas and Gail had been walking and talking for quite a while now, and Cas was ecstatic. They'd started out with small talk. He'd told her about some of the sights he had seen, and they talked about the books that she loved that he was just beginning to discover. She had smiled and told him that he would also have to see the movies once he was done with the book series. He'd squeezed her hand and said he'd be glad to watch them with her, once they were able to get together for long enough. They would buy all of them and have a movie marathon.

But then the mood turned sad. They still had no idea when that might be.

Gail tried to lighten things up. "So. The Pope, huh?" she said.

Cas couldn't help but smile. "I know," he said to her. "My first real celebrity encounter."

They had come to a patio in their meandering, and Cas turned to Gail. "Would you like to sit down for a bit?"

"Sure," she replied.

They walked through the gate and Cas pulled out a chair for her to sit in. Then he took the chair next to her instead of the one across. He was happy to be so close to her, and he didn't want a table separating them.

The server came, and Cas ordered them both a glass of wine. Gail raised an eyebrow, and he looked at her mischeviously. "When in Rome," he said.

Gail pretended to be exasperated, but she was really delighted. "I cannot believe you just said that," she said, rolling her eyes.

"I've been waiting my whole life to say that," Cas said happily.

Gail took his face in both of her hands and kissed him firmly on the cheek. "I'd almost forgotten how funny you can be sometimes," she told him.

Cas smiled, but it was a sad smile. "We haven't had much humour in our lives lately, have we?"

She nodded in agreement. Wasn't that the truth.

The wine came, and they raised their glasses to each other. "To better times ahead," Gail said, and they each had a sip.

Cas put his glass down on the table then, taking her hand again. He told her about ordering the glass of wine in Paris, just so he could pretend that she was sitting there with him. Gail thought that she had never heard anything so sweet, and so sad, in her entire life.

"Cas, if the Pope was able to do something to you to get rid of the violence, then you can come back home, can't you?" she asked him softly.

"No," he said firmly, frowning. "I can't be trusted, Gail."

She was dismayed. "What do you mean?"

"I'm still a Demon," he told her. "I still have a lot of bad thoughts. I thought about taking you straight to a hotel. Even right now, I could just - " He let go of her hand and curled his hands into fists. It was frustrating. She was sitting right here, and she would likely have gone with him, willingly. But that was the problem; she would have gone with him willingly. And then, what would happen once they got there? Would he be able to love her with just the right combination of passion and gentleness, as he wanted to? Or would she have brand new marks on her body afterwards, to add to the painful ones she already had? If he couldn't be sure, he couldn't do it. And, he couldn't be sure.

Cas leaned back in his chair, taking another swallow of wine. "I have to send you home, Gail," he told her. "I don't want to, but I have to. And I have to do it soon, before I change my mind."

She understood what he was trying to say. She didn't like it, but she understood. "OK, Cas. But I'm going to get my cell phone from the house, and I want you to call me anytime you feel you need to, OK? We can talk about anything you want. I just need to hear from you every now and then. If you're feeling sad, just call me. OK?"

He took her hand again. "And I want you to do the same," he said to her.

Gail gave him a faint smile. "Well then, I'll be calling you all the time. What would the long distance charges be on that, I wonder?"

Cas squeezed her hand. "Tell you what. Europe's kind of gotten old for me, anyway. Maybe you and I can come back here someday, when we can do it right. In the meantime, I think I'll move a little closer to home."

"Any chance you're willing to tell me where?" she asked him hopefully.

But Cas was evasive. "I'm not sure yet." He was pretty sure he did know, though. He just didn't want to tell her yet, in case one or both of them weakened.

In fact, he was starting to weaken right now, so he said softly, "We'd better get you home."

They left the patio and walked around the corner. The street was dark, and there was no one around; it was the perfect spot from which to send her home.

But first, Cas put his arms around her waist and drew her to him. "Just because I'm sending you home doesn't mean I'm going to do so without my kiss," he said, smiling. He leaned down and kissed her softly. She put her arms around him and pulled him closer.

"If I'm not going to get to see you for a while, I need a better one than that," she said teasingly.

He kissed her again, and this time he opened her mouth with his tongue, and she gave him hers. His arms tightened around her for a moment, but then he reluctantly broke the kiss. He was getting too excited now, and his resolve was just about to break.

"I love you, Gail," he told her. "That's why you have to go home, right now."

He touched her forehead and gave her the push back to the bunker.

Bobby had been keeping Sam and Dean posted, so they knew that Gail was safe. So when she reappeared, the brothers were still relieved, but their anger had dissipated somewhat, and now they were merely grumpy.

Gail had figured they'd be upset, so when she walked up to the table where they were sitting, she said, "So, that was some job we pulled, wasn't it? We'll have to think of a name for the movie they're going to make out of it. Too bad 'The Italian Job' is already taken."

They both looked at her, eyebrows raised, saying nothing. "Come on, guys," she said, sitting down in her usual chair. "Give me a break here."

Dean relented. "OK, Gail. You're off the hook. Bobby told us you were all right. So, yeah, it was pretty cool." He grinned. He could picture himself as James Bond, running around Europe and driving a cool import, just for a change of pace. Sorry, Baby, I'm seeing another hot car for a couple of weeks, but I'll be back.

"Yeah, it WAS pretty cool. Till Cas double-crossed us," Sam said. He wasn't quite ready to let it go yet. Yes, Gail was OK, but things could easily have gone the other way. The fact that she was back safe this time didn't mean that they could drop their guard.

"We just wanted to spend a few minutes alone together, Sam," Gail told him. As if Cas keeping her there had been a mutual decision. But now, she was very glad he had done it. For a few minutes there, she had just about been able to pretend that things between her and Cas had never changed, and that they'd been on a romantic getaway, or something. "And he sent me home, safe and sound, as you can see."

"OK, Gail," Sam said, nodding. He'd made his point; he didn't want to argue with her about it.

"So when are we going back to see Oliver?" she asked him.

"I figured you'd say that, so I already called him," Sam replied, and now he was smiling a little, despite his better judgment. "He seemed eager to cooperate this time."

"Strange. I can't imagine why," Gail said, her lips twitching. She couldn't help it; she still thought that scaring Oliver with Crowley was one of the smartest things she'd done in recent memory. Too bad that nobody else approved. But, no matter: results were the only thing that mattered to her now. She'd gotten two ingredients today, and Gail felt like she was on a roll.

Chapter 5 - Defects Of Character

Cas had been feeling a little better about himself after he had been able to send Gail home without being aggressive with her, pushing the physical aspect of their relationship as he'd been doing for so long. He had mentioned to her that he was thinking of moving a little closer to home, and he thought that he might be psychologically ready to do it now. He had thought that he would like Europe, but Cas had felt out of sorts there. He couldn't explain it; it just felt wrong for him to be there, for some reason.

After he'd sent Gail home, he had gone back to the patio to sit and think. He wanted to relive the recent positive things that had happened: his encounter with Pope Francis, the successful acquisition of the Tablet fragments, and his alone time here with Gail. Cas had such a warm glow from all three of these events that he was able to subdue the Demon for the moment, and he was feeling the best he'd felt in a long, long time. More like himself.

He'd been wondering where to go from here, and he wanted to be closer geographically to Gail, yet not too close. He recalled the place where the two of them had been so happy before the tribunal had intervened, and he nodded to himself. Vancouver it would be, then.

Cas went back to the spot where he had kissed Gail moments earlier, and winked himself away.

Oliver opened the door to admit Gail and the Winchesters. He avoided looking at Gail directly, merely saying, "Follow me." He led the way to the seance room and did the usual preparations as Gail sat down at the table with Sam and Dean. She'd contemplated switching places with one of the brothers to see whether Oliver would force himself to hold her hand, but she figured she'd better not push it, since Oliver was being compliant.

But she couldn't stop herself from smirking as Oliver sat down across from her, looking at her with distaste.

"What are you smiling about?" Oliver snapped at her.

"Nothing," Gail said innocently.

"Let's just get on with it," Oliver said impatiently. He glared at Sam. "Once this is over, you need to lose my number."

"Don't worry, after all this is over, we'll never darken your door again," Gail said tartly. She wasn't really sure why Oliver irritated her so much; he just did. Maybe it was because he claimed to be an atheist, yet he believed in Demons, and he contacted the spirit world. Or maybe it was because he'd taken one look at Cas and herself, and called them out for what they were. Even now, he was looking at her like he knew every bad thought that she had ever had, and every bad thing she had ever done. And how the hell could you like someone who could do that?

Oliver called forth Rowena, and she appeared instantly.

"You've brought my boys back," Rowena cooed. "Much better. The man you were here with last time wasn't nearly as good-looking, and his morals were questionable, to say the least."

As are yours, Gail thought. "We got the ingredients," she told Rowena, "and we're here to find out what else we need." Then she made herself add, "Please."

But Rowena didn't need any cajoling. She had every intention of giving Gail the information. The closer Gail got to the end, the sooner Rowena would have her life back. "So, you were able to get the sword of God?" Rowena asked. Truthfully, she was impressed. She'd told Gail it would be easy, but Rowena had honestly been surprised to see them again so soon. Seeing her son had thrown Rowena off her game a bit, and she had pretended to be casual about it. But Rowena had had no idea what the sword of God actually was, exactly, or where it might be. Apparently Gail did, though, and she had already obtained it. The more Rowena saw Gail in action, the more impressed she was with her. She wondered if it would be possible somehow to pry Gail away from the men, so that they could talk alone. She would love to have Gail as a protege. There was so much that Rowena could teach her.

"Yeah, and it wasn't exactly the easiest thing in the world to get," Dean piped up. "And if that's what you call easy..."

Rowena smiled. She walked over to where he was sitting and ruffled his hair. "But you accomplished it, didn't you?" she said lightly into his ear.

Dean jerked his head to the other side. Of all the females he wouldn't mind blowing in his hear, this witch wasn't one of them.

"So, what's next?" Gail asked Rowena, taking her attention away from Dean. Rowena looked at her, smiling. "So eager for the cure?" she asked Gail. "I would have thought you would be enjoying the benefits. How is my dear Castiel doing?"

"How do you think he is?" Gail countered irritably.

"I wouldn't know," Rowena said slowly, studying Gail's face intently. "And something tells me you don't, either."

"No, I don't," Gail replied. She was starting to get mad now. Rowena was screwing with her, and she didn't have the patience. "Are you going to give us more ingredients, or not?"

"All right," Rowena snapped back. Where was Gail's sense of humour? Mind, Rowena knew that poor Gail had been doing without lately; maybe that was why she was so irritable. If Rowena had been spending so much time in the bunker with these two fine specimens, Rowena wouldn't be doing without, the witch thought with a smile. But apparently, Gail was determined to remain monogamous. Her loss.

"If it's ingredients you're wanting, I'll give you three," Rowena said. "I know you've got a lot of time on your hands now that you've finally climbed out of bed, dear." Rowena was hoping her bitchiness would cover the fact that she was giving them the ingredients at an accelerated rate now. Sam was looking at her with a strange expression on his face.

"Yes, yes. I used to have sex. It's all very amusing," Gail said, rolling her eyes. For an instant, she'd sounded so much like a female version of Crowley that Dean did a double-take.

Rowena had noticed that, too. That must be the blood bond, rearing its ugly head. But if Gail had been willing to accept advice from Rowena right now, she would tell Gail to be careful not to emulate her son. He was no role model; he simply wasn't evil enough, though he claimed to be.

But the witch smiled. Just as she had suspected. She'd better wrap this up then, before the poor girl exploded. "You'll need to get a vampire's fang, representing Diligence, in place of Sloth," she said.

"How does that represent Diligence?" Sam interrupted. Gail had told them about Bobby's blood representing Humility, and that had made sense to him. Bobby may be God, but he was the most humble deity Sam could imagine. And the sword of God represented Kindness, somewhat ironically. But what sense did this make?

Rowena looked at Sam with a tolerant expression. "Vampires are very diligent. Aren't they, dearie?" she taunted Gail.

Gail frowned. She didn't need to be reminded of that, and Sam and Dean really didn't need to be reminded of it, either. "Fine," she said shortly. "A vampire's fang. What else?"

"The tears that Lust and Greed will cause," Rowena replied vaguely. She may have a bit of newfound respect for Gail, but that didn't mean the girl was entitled to speak to Rowena that way.

"Meaning what?" Dean asked. Rowena smiled. She would answer him, instead. A little edge in a man was sexy.

"It means, my lamb, the tears of the former Angel Aurielle, representing Chastity over Lust. And the tears of the current Angel Jason, representing Liberality over Greed," Rowena said slyly.

Gail was stunned. A vampire fang? OK, she knew Hunters, so that may not be too hard to obtain. And Aurielle was in Hell now, so Gail could get Crowley to take her down to see Aurielle there. Gail was pretty sure it wouldn't be too difficult for her to get Aurielle's tears, one way or the other. But, Jason? Seriously? How was she supposed to make HIM cry? And how could she even gain access to him now? He was in Heaven, wasn't he?

Sam and Dean were looking at each other. They could likely help with the Vampire thing, but they might have to call on other resources for Jason's and Aurielle's tears. It would be time for a brainstorming session when they got back to the bunker.

It was late when they got back, and the brothers were tired.

Sam yawned widely. "I'm beat," he said. "We'll figure out how we're going to get the stuff in the morning."

Gail gave them both a hug before they went to bed. "Thanks for sticking with me, you guys," she told them. "I couldn't get this done without you."

Dean smiled at her. "We want it just as much as you do, Gail," he said. And it was the truth. He'd seen flashes of the old Cas during their caper tonight, and he missed that guy. "What are you gonna do while we're sleeping?"

"I think I'll go back to the house and take a shower," Gail told him. "And don't look at me that way. Cas is in Europe, and I can't teleport that far," she said tartly.

The brothers exchanged glances. OK. That was true. So they wished her goodnight, and went down the hall to their rooms.

Once again, Gail's doe eyes had made them believe in what she was saying. She may not be able to teleport that far, but she hadn't said anything about not calling him, had she?

Cas picked up his cell phone, which was sitting on the nightstand. Gail! He answered eagerly.

"Hi, Cas," she said softly. "Nothing's wrong," she continued, anticipating his question. "I just wanted to hear your voice."

"It's good to hear yours, too," he said, smiling. He kicked his shoes off and arranged the pillows behind him with his free hand so he could sit up in bed while they spoke. Maybe he would leave one pillow beside him and pretend she was laying next to him.

"We got three more ingredients from Rowena to get," Gail told him. She described the items they were supposed to obtain. "I'm pretty sure the fang is doable, and I'm sure I can get Aurielle to cry." Cas could hear the smile in her voice when she said that. Cas was sure Gail could, too. All she would have to do was detail some of their more vigorous activities in the bedroom, and poor Aurielle would be crying buckets. Too bad for her. She was the one who had poured the damn potion down his throat to begin with.

"But how the hell are we supposed to make Jason cry?" Gail asked him.

Cas's brow furrowed. Damned if he knew. Jason wasn't exactly the crying kind. You had to care about something in order to cry about it, didn't you? Even when Cas had tortured the living crap out of Jason, he hadn't shed one tear. And Cas couldn't think of anything that would make him do so.

He sighed. "I don't know, Gail. I guess we'll just have to think about that."

"The guys said the same thing. They're gone to bed now," Gail told him. "So I came home, found my cell phone, and called you, of course." She smiled. "What are you doing right now?"

"Nothing," Cas said. "I'm just sitting up in bed. You?"

"The same," Gail replied.

Silence.

"Cas? Are you still there?"

He was still there, but Cas was having trouble now. They'd had to go and say they were in bed, hadn't they? Now that was all he could think about.

"I'm here," he told her. "I'm just thinking."

"Where are you, Cas?" she asked him. "Still in Rome?"

He frowned. He hadn't been planning to tell her yet. But, did it really matter? "Vancouver," he said shortly.

Gail was thrilled. He was back in North America, and he was in the city where they'd had such a good life together, if only for a short while.

"You're not going to believe it," Cas blurted out. Had he really thought he could keep from telling her? "I was able to get our old apartment back."

Gail's mouth dropped open. "No way!" she exclaimed.

"Way," he deadpanned, and she laughed. "I couldn't believe it, either," he continued. "It's like it was meant to be."

"You should see if you can get your old job back," she said, half-jokingly.

"I was thinking about doing just that," Cas replied, smiling.

"Oh, THAT'S what you were thinking about," she teased.

"No, that's not what I was thinking about, and you know it," he retorted.

Gail suddenly appeared in front of him, standing at the foot of his bed. "I know," she said, smiling. "'Bye,"she said into the phone, hanging up. "And hello," she said to Cas, moving to the nightstand beside him. She put her phone down on it, and she was pleased to see her photo leaning up against the base of the lamp. She touched it with her finger.

"I just came to see my photo," Gail teased.

Cas pushed End Call, and put his cell phone on the table next to hers. He'd tried to be good, but she was here, and he couldn't hold out any longer.

"Come here," he said, opening his arms.

She climbed onto the bed and kissed him, nestling into his arms. "There. That's better," she said.

Cas rolled her over onto her back. "I tried, Gail, but I can't," he told her. "I can't be good any more."

"I can't, either," she said to him. "Let's be bad together. Just try not to make it hurt too much."

He hesitated. He wished she hadn't said that. "I don't want to hurt you," he said, frowning. "Maybe this isn't such a good idea."

But she was stroking him now through his pants, and his breath caught. In a second, he wasn't going to be able to stop, no matter what either of them said or did.

"Probably not," Gail said, but she was smiling. She'd been too good for too long, and Oliver and Rowena had gotten to her. Oliver kept looking at her like she was so bad. Maybe she wanted to be bad. And then there was Rowena, rubbing it in that Gail was doing without. Well, Gail didn't feel like denying herself any more. What good was having Demon blood in you anyway, if you didn't use it?

Cas was taking her top off now, and she was helping him with his shirt. He caressed her bare skin, licking her neck, and then her breasts. She held his head and smiled. He was breathing heavily, but he was keeping himself under control. Cas trailed his tongue down her stomach and undid her pants, then slipped them down over her hips. He was shaking from need now, but he forced himself to go slowly.

Once he had her pants off, he caressed her hips and thighs. Gail opened her legs and he used his tongue on her, sighing contentedly. Her body jerked, and he stopped immediately. "Are you all right?" he asked her, lifting his head to look at her face.

"Yes, Cas, I'm fine," she said, smiling. "More than fine. Please don't stop. You're making me feel so good."

Phew. He was afraid he had been hurting her. "Well, in that case..." He answered her smile. Then he gave her a few slow licks, and when she began to whimper, he sped up, and she began to cry out. "Cas!" she yelled. She grabbed the back of his head and held it right where she needed it, and the feeling was so intense that she started to laugh. On and on it went as the waves of pleasure hit her, receded, then came back again. "I love you!" she cried out, and he smiled. She still loved him, and she still needed him. He had been right to come back. How could they ever have been so far apart? Look at her now; she was so happy, and it was still Cas who was making her feel this way, no one else.

When she'd calmed down, he climbed on top of her and slipped into her, pushing forward eagerly, but taking care not to be too rough. Her legs wrapped around him and he licked her lips until she gave him her tongue. He groaned loudly, and then he was still.

"I told you," he told her, trying to get his breath back.

"I love you too, Cas," she said, touching his face with both hands. "And that didn't hurt at all. In fact, I think we need to go again in a few minutes."

He smiled. "Sounds good to me."

Cas laid down beside her and cuddled her for a while.

"I see our TV's still here," Gail said teasingly.

"Why, do you want to watch it?" Cas said, matching her tone.

"No, I don't think so," she replied. She started to stroke him, and he was getting excited again. "Maybe later."

Cas was moving against her hand now, and he looked at her, his eyes lidded. "Would you do something for me?" he asked her.

"Which way?" she replied.

"Lay on your stomach," he breathed. "I won't be too rough, I promise." Then he smiled. "Just rough enough."

His eyes were darker now, but so were hers. He was stroking her now too, and Gail knew he would continue to do so once they got into position. So she laid on her stomach and he eased into her, reaching around to continue stroking her.

"It's OK, you can go faster, Cas," she encouraged him.

So he sped up his motion, looking down at her body. Some of the marks seemed to be fading, and he was glad. She would look a lot better with pristine skin. She was so good to let him do this, and she felt so good underneath him.

"Harder," she urged. "It's OK."

So he went harder, and she was rising up to meet him now. He loved it when she did that. He sped up his fingers, and she started calling out his name into the pillows. He moaned as the pleasure spread through his body, and he pushed into her, watching her writhe underneath him. He cried out her name and collapsed on top of her, kissing and licking her neck.

"You're so good," he breathed into her ear. She loved feeling his hot breath in her ear, and when he licked her earlobe, her body jumped again. That had been fantastic. Except for the little bit of pain she felt from that particular activity, which was normal, Gail couldn't feel one painful spot on her body now. Just a warm glow.

Cas rose from her and helped turn her around, and then he lifted her up so he could kiss her on the mouth. "Any pain?" he asked her.

"None," Gail said happily. "Let's rest a bit, then we'll go one more time,and then I'll get back before the wardens realize I'm gone."

He smiled. Funny, he'd been thinking the same thing. And now that he'd let himself surrender to his carnal urges without hurting her, he was wondering if he and Gail needed to be separated at all.

They laid back down, but as he cuddled her, the Demon began to play with his mind. If he begged her to stay here with him, she probably would. In fact, he might not even need to beg. She had come here to him of her own free will, hadn't she? She wanted to be here. She'd called Sam and Dean "wardens", and her eyes had gone dark. Why couldn't they just live here together and continue to love each other like this? Who were they hurting? Then Sam and Dean could go about their business, and Bobby could go about his. Why did they even need this so-called "cure", when they were happy the way they were?

They dozed in each others' arms for a while, and then he started caressing her body again. "Come here," he said, motioning to her, and she knew what he wanted. She positioned herself by his mouth and took him in hers. They licked each other, teasing, driving each other crazy. He pushed himself into her mouth and she took him. But he was still teasing her, giving her a couple of slow licks but then holding her away from him. "Please, Cas," she whimpered. "No," he said, smiling. "Not yet." OK, Gail thought. Let's see how you like it, then. She started to give him the same little licks he was giving her, and it was making him nuts. "All right. You win," he said, his smile growing wider. He loved it when she pleaded, but he loved it even more when she pushed back. So he brought her to his mouth and she started to cry out immediately. Then she took him in her mouth, and they moved together. He could feel the vibration from her cries, and it was amazing. He cried out then too, and Gail felt the shock of pleasure throughout her whole body.

When they were done, he cuddled her again. "Stay here with me," he murmured.

"I can't," she said reluctantly. "If I don't show up in the morning, they'll freak out. And we have to start brainstorming, figure out how we're going to get these new ingredients." Then she brightened. "Why don't you come with me? We can all put our heads together." She kissed him softly on the cheek. "You're a pretty smart fella, you know." She smiled.

But Cas wasn't smiling. "I don't want to do that, Gail."

She misunderstood what he was trying to say. "I think the guys would be OK with it," she said mildly. "The three of you seemed all right in Rome."

Cas frowned. "You don't understand, Gail. I want you to move here with me. I don't want you to go back to the bunker at all."

She was puzzled. "Well, I have to. How else are we going to get all the stuff we need for the cure?"

His eyes darkened. "I don't think we need a 'cure'. We're just fine the way we are. We'll just stay here together. We won't bother anyone, and I won't let anyone bother us. We could be very happy," he said to her.

No cure? What was he talking about? She hadn't gone through all this for nothing! Yes, they'd had a fantastic night, but they'd had those before, and then things had gone terribly wrong.

"Be right back," Gail said, holding up one finger. She climbed out of the bed and threw her clothes back on, then left the room. Cas furrowed his brow. Where was she going?

Gail walked down the hall and entered the kitchen. She opened one of the cabinet doors. Good. The drinking glasses were still there. The apartment had come furnished, and the previous tenants had left some dishes in the kitchen. They'd been Angels when they had lived here, so of course she had never used them. But she'd known they were here.

She grabbed a glass and took it back to the bedroom with her, carrying it over to the nightstand. Then she picked up her cell phone and put it in her pants pocket.

"What are you doing?" Cas asked, grabbing her wrist. "Come back to bed." She wasn't preparing to leave, was she? Didn't she know he could make her stay, if she wouldn't do so willingly?

Gail braced herself in preparation for what she was about to do. But she had to do something drastic, or she knew she would persuade herself to just stay here with him and abandon the cure. After the wonderful night they'd just had, that would be all too easy to do. It was the cure that was hard.

She grabbed the drinking glass with her free hand and smashed it against the table. Then she shook free from Cas's grip and picked up one of the shards of broken glass, cutting her own arm with it.

She thrust her arm towards Cas, grimacing in pain as the blood ran down from the cut. She had made herself cut deep, so there was a fair amount of blood coming out of the wound.

"If you can heal this, without tasting it, or even wanting to, I'll consider staying," Gail said, watching Cas's face closely.

His eyes darkened even more. What was she trying to pull? She wanted to stay with him; he knew she did. Look at the amazing night they had just had. It could be like that all the time. Well, she wasn't going anywhere. She had offered herself up to him like this at the bunker, and he had made her very happy, after she'd let him to what he needed to do. And she had liked it. She was just looking for an excuse to have him do it to her again.

Suddenly, he grabbed her and pulled her towards him. She lost her balance, falling on top of him. He rolled her over and pulled her pants down, then he seized her arm and put his lips to her cut, sucking the blood from it while stroking her with his other hand.

"I'll make you feel amazing, just like before," he told her, continuing to lick the blood from her arm. "I don't need that much. Just once in a while. Please, Gail. Remember how good I made you feel?" His fingers sped up their motion, and she felt herself starting to respond. His mouth came down on hers, and he pried her lips open with his tongue. She could taste her own blood, and it sickened her.

"You want my tongue there, don't you?" Cas breathed. "Just say it, and I'll make you feel fantastic."

She did want it there, so much. She was moving against his fingers now, and he was smiling. All she had to do was say yes, and he would have her like this forever.

"No, Cas," Gail said, even as she was moving with him. Oh, God, she had to stop. If she didn't now, she never would. She knew he wouldn't stop; he was incapable. And if she abandoned the cure now, she was condemning them to live like this for the rest of time.

"No," she said more firmly, pushing him away. Cas was angry now. She had offered herself up to him, and now she was telling him no? He reached for her again, and she panicked. He had that look on his face now. And he was stronger than her physically; if she let him overpower her, that would be it.

So she winked herself out from under him, and back to the bunker. In her panic, she hadn't thought about where in the bunker to target herself, so she appeared in the library area, pants still pulled down and arm dripping with blood.

Dean was at the table, drinking what appeared to be a glass of whiskey, and his eyes widened when he saw her. Dean had had a lot of trouble sleeping lately, and sometimes he would get out of bed and go to the bar, pouring himself a glass of the hard stuff. Then he would sit here and brood about the mess they were all in now. That was what he had been doing the night they had returned from Lucifer's cage. Now that they seemed to be making some progress, he had come out here to think about the Vampire fang they needed, and he'd been getting an inking of an idea when Gail suddenly appeared.

Crap! Gail pulled her pants up hurriedly, seeing the expression on Dean's face. Why hadn't she gone back to the house first? She could have gone outside first, or to her room here. But she'd been so panicked that she hadn't been thinking.

"Sorry, Dean. I didn't mean to scare you," she said sheepishly.

He jumped to his feet. "You're bleeding, Gail. What the hell?" Then he saw the blood smear on her mouth, and he knew. This looked all too familiar. Cas. Damn Cas.

"I know, I'm sorry," she said again. "Do you have something - ?"

Dean rushed over to the drawer in the coffee nook and grabbed a couple of bandages, then he grabbed the cloth Sam kept on the counter.

"Sit down," he ordered her. Gail sat. Dean handed her the cloth. "Wipe your mouth," he said angrily. He pulled up a chair next to her and pulled her arm towards him, wrapping the bandage around it. When he was done, he flipped her arm over and fastened the bandage with the metal clip. "There. That should stop the bleeding," he told her.

Dean raised his eyes to look at her face. He didn't say anything; he just stared at her. Gail finished wiping her mouth and put the cloth on the table, avoiding his gaze. "Thanks, Dean," she said quietly.

"I'm about two steps away from locking you up," Dean fumed. "Tell me why I souldn't."

Gail frowned. "Believe it or not, tonight was a test," she said. Then she did look at Dean, trying to give him a smile. "He failed."

Dean counted to ten so he wouldn't yell at her. No freaking kidding, he thought.

"I won't be making that mistake again," Gail told him. She held up a hand in anticipation of his protest. "I know, I know. I've said that before. But this time, I really mean it. He tried to persuade me to abandon the cure, Dean. And I don't want to tell you how close I came."

He made a face, remembering the state of undress she had been in when she'd first appeared. Yeah, he could just bet that Cas had been very persuasive. Based on the sounds he and Sam had heard coming out of their room when they had both been staying here, Dean could bet that Cas had been persuading her brains out.

But at least she had come back; he supposed that was something, anyway. Cas had better stay away for a while, though. Dean's punching hand was starting to itch again.

"Give me your phone, Gail," Dean ordered her. She looked at him, then shrugged and reached into her pants pocket, handing it over. Normally, she would have been angry at his demand, but right now she felt as if it might be for the best.

Dean looked a little surprised that she had handed it over so meekly, but he put it in his shirt pocket and gave her a brief smile. "And, now that I'm on a roll, I'm calling Bobby," he told her. "I want him to come down and have a talk with you."

"No, Dean," Gail said. She didn't want a lecture from Bobby right now. Maybe it would do her some good to talk to somebody, though. But who?

Dean bristled. "What do you mean, 'no'? We keep telling you to stay away, and you keep going back anyway. Somebody's gotta talk some sense into you, Gail. I don't know what happened tonight, and I don't even want to know. Why do you think I'm sitting up here, in the middle of the night? You and Cas are driving me crazy! I don't know what to do with you any more," he said, raising his voice.

"Shh. You'll wake Sam up," she cautioned him.

Dean nodded. She was right. That'd be all he'd need. Every time Gail popped in here with fresh injuries, Dean had to spend hours calming Sam down.

"Yeah, you don't want him coming out here," he told her angrily. "He's two inches away from killing Cas, and I'm about one inch away from letting him."

Gail said nothing. What could she say, really?

"You're smarter than this, Gail," Dean said. That one hurt, because he was absolutely right. She WAS smarter than this. What exactly had she thought was going to happen tonight? Had she really thought that those few romantic moments in Rome had changed anything? Pope or no Pope, Cas was what he was now. Maybe the cure was so onerous because the disease was so debilitating.

"I know, Dean. You're right," she replied. "I promise you, I'll stay away from him. But we've got to remember; he's got a disease, and it's not his fault. Would you want to kick his ass if he had terminal cancer?"

OK, Dean could kind of see her point there. He sighed.

"And I have Stage 1, or maybe Stage 2, of the same disease," Gail went on. "So, I'm not always thinking clearly myself. But I think you're right. I do need to talk to somebody from Heaven."

Dean brightened. This was more like it.

Gail smiled wryly. "I can't believe I'm about to say this, but: I want to talk to Chuck."

"Chuck?" Dean was surprised. He knew that Chuck was a good guy now, but, still. "Why Chuck?"

"I don't know," Gail said. But she did have a couple of ideas; she just wasn't prepared to talk to Dean on the subject. "But it's either Chuck, or nobody."

Dean sighed again, and picked up his cell phone.

Gail had begged Dean not to mention her little excursion to Vancouver to Bobby, and Dean had agreed, even though it was against his better judgement. Of course, Bobby could have seen her and Cas if he'd been looking, but she didn't think that was too likely. The last Bobby had heard, she had been back home in the bunker, safe and sound. And if worse came to worst, he would probably only have seen their intimacies early on in the encounter, and Gail knew Bobby wouldn't have wanted to watch that.

Bobby had suggested to Dean that Gail come up to Heaven, but she'd shaken her head vigorously. No. Chuck needed to come down here. Every time she even thought about going to Heaven, Gail felt sick to her stomach. The Demon in her was repulsed by the idea; there was no way Gail wanted to show up there, surrounded by all those Angels. Too many eyes, and too many questions. And there was something else, something she hadn't told anyone, not even Cas. A while back, as an experiment, she had tried to ascend. But she hadn't been able to do it.

So Bobby brought Chuck down to the bunker.

"How are you, Gail?" Bobby asked her.

His gaze felt penetrating, but that was probably just her guilty conscience talking. Apparently, she did still have one.

"I'm fine, Bobby," she replied. He was silent. He seemed to be waiting for her to say something else, but she wasn't going to take the bait. Gail had seen a lot of cop shows on TV, so she knew that quite often when a suspect was being questioned, the interrogator would let them babble on, and they hung themselves by saying too much.

"You're fine? Nothing to report since you got back from Rome?" Bobby persisted.

Crap. He knew. She was lying right to God's face. Well, she was a Demon now, wasn't she?

"Nope. Nothing," Gail said casually. Her heart was beating faster, but she made herself look at Chuck then. "Hi, Chuck, how're you doing?"

Chuck gave her a tight smile. "I'm good, Gail." But he knew that she wasn't. He'd been pleasantly surprised when Bobby had told him that she wanted to see him. Chuck had been wanting to talk to her too, but he'd had no idea how to go about it.

Bobby was frowning. He knew all about Gail's little trip to Vancouver. He'd known that she was back from Rome and that she was OK, but Bobby had also seen that romantic interlude in Rome, and it had made him nervous. Every time he'd thought his mother had had just about enough from his dad, Bobby's father had seemed to be able to sense that. Then he'd been extremely loving and attentive for a couple of days, and she would get sucked right in again. It was the weirdest thing. Bobby hadn't understood it at the time, and he still wasn't sure that he did, not entirely. But he had gained extensive knowledge on many subjects throughout the years, and Bobby could safely say he'd seen just about everything by now. He'd certainly seen more than he'd ever wanted to see when he had looked in on them in Vancouver. But Bobby had just had the feeling that Gail wouldn't be able to stay away from Cas much longer. Damn Cas, anyway. Why had he come back to North America? If Cas had stayed where he was, she wouldn't have been able to go to him. At least, Bobby didn't think she could. When he had sent the three of them to Rome, Gail had said she wasn't able to go that far on her own. But she supposedly had the powers of an Original, something Bobby still knew next to nothing about. Maybe she just lacked the confidence to try.

So Bobby had zeroed in on them in Vancouver, and he had forced himself to keep an eye open, even though what he'd seen was extremely personal. And at first, what he had watched looked merely like a passionate encounter between a man and a woman, and nothing more. Nothing sinister about it. In a way, it had reminded Bobby of many of the nights he'd had with Rowena, minus the drinking, in the Angels' case. Bobby may be older now, but he wasn't ancient, and he was still able to look back on some of those sessions with a smile on his face. So, even though it was uncomfortable to see the two of them engaged in an activity like that, a part of Bobby had thought: Good for them. He had even allowed himself a moment of amusement to be seeing his old Angel friend Castiel in that context. No wonder he seemed a lot more relaxed than the Angel Bobby had known before. But Bobby also knew that what he was seeing was part of a pattern, and his amusement had faded quickly. Other encounters that had started like this had obviously turned violent, and there was nothing whatsoever that was funny about that. Cas was playing Gail like a violin, and he couldn't be trusted.

And sure enough, when Cas got around to trying to convince Gail to abandon the cure, Bobby's ears had perked up, and he had begun to watch intently. Would she allow herself to become convinced? But then she had bravely put Cas to the test, and he had shown his true Demon colours. Bobby had felt like throwing up when he'd seen Cas drink her blood like that, though. Bobby had known things were bad, but he'd had no damn idea. Holy God. No wonder she was pursuing the cure so relentlessly. Bobby was going to have to have therapy for years to come just to get that image out of his head, though. But Gail had done the right thing, and now she was back here, vowing never to see Cas by herself again. Bobby didn't think her vow would hold; those kinds of vows seldom did. But at least she wanted to talk to someone, and that felt like progress. Too bad she didn't want to talk to Bobby himself; he could offer her a wealth of experience on the subject. But he could also understand it. He was God, and he was obviously still an authority figure to her. It would have seemed strange to him that she wanted to speak to Chuck a while back, but Bobby was aware that Gail thought of Chuck as a friend and an ally to her and Cas now. And, as far as Gail was aware, Chuck was the only other denizen of Heaven who knew about Cas's situation. So if she needed to talk to an Angel, Bobby supposed it made sense, in a way.

"I'll be heading back now," Bobby said. He looked at Chuck. "Call me on Angel Radio when you're ready to come back." Then he disappeared.

Gail sighed with relief. Bobby knew, but he hadn't called her on it. Maybe she could have talked to him, after all. But Bobby had been exactly right in his assessment of the situation. She couldn't talk to God about some of the things she needed to get off her chest.

"Hey, Dean," Chuck said, taking a seat next to Gail at the table.

"Hey," Dean said absently. But he was looking at Gail. It was still a little hard for Dean to think of Chuck as a good-guy Angel, after all the crap he had pulled in the past. "Are you gonna be all right?" he asked her.

Gail waved her hand. "Yeah, yeah. Go to bed, Dean."

Dean sighed, then got up and started down the hallway. Yeah, right. For all the sleep he was getting these days, he might as well be an Angel, too.

Chuck had noticed the bandage on Gail's arm immediately, of course, but he didn't know if he should open with that. He didn't want to scare her off right away. But he didn't want to just sit here and make small talk with her, either. That would be a waste of both of their time. She'd obviously called him all the way here to talk about something real, like a friend. That made him feel good. He wanted to be her friend, and he wanted to be Cas's, too, if that was still possible. But Chuck had seen some things that had chilled his blood. He had also seen them in Vancouver, and even though he had tried to do the right thing and shut it off, it wouldn't go.

Gail saw Chuck staring at her bandage, and she knew he was having trouble starting the conversation, so she let him off the hook. "It's OK, Chuck. You can ask about the bandage. I'm sure you must be curious," she said to him.

Chuck was uncomfortable now, but if he was here to have an honest conversation, he might as well be honest. "I already know, Gail," he said sadly. "He tried to smile. "Prophet, remember?"

"So you saw everything?" she asked him.

Chuck sighed. "Yeah. Sorry, Gail."

Incredibly, she smiled. "Good. It'll save time."

Chuck looked at her, debating. Then he sat back in his chair. "Can I be brutally honest with you, Gail?"

She winced a little, but said, "Yeah. Please. That's kind of why you're here, Chuck. I need to have a brutally honest conversation with somebody. And I just had the feeling it should be with you."

Chuck felt honoured that she would say that, but he gave her a rueful smile. "Yeah, I'd be the person, all right. OK, you want honesty? Here you go: I get it, Gail."

She looked sharply at him. "What do you mean?"

He made himself look her in the eye. He'd been the one to say those awful things to her at the viewing of Cas's body after the execution, and it fell to him now to do it again. He only hoped she was still speaking to him after this.

"I mean, I get it," he said to her. "That was some pretty hot sex you guys were having, and it's hard to walk away from that kind of thing. Even if you don't have Demon juice in your blood. I watched a lot longer than I should have, and at one point, I was Cas, and at another point, I was you." Chuck smiled, trying to defuse the rottenness of what he was saying. "I never realized how sexy Cas was before."

She looked at him, wide-eyed, and then she laughed. She'd known that Chuck was the right kind of guy to talk to about this. Maybe the only one.

"I watched a lot of porn when I was a human, and what you guys were doing was a lot more tame than some of the stuff I used to watch," Chuck continued. "But I confess: I got worked up watching you both. So I can understand why you don't want to do without it. And why should you, right? I'm a little surprised you even want the cure." He smiled again, to show her he was mostly joking.

"Well, if you watched the whole thing, and I'll decide how mad I want to be at you about that later - " she smiled too, to show him she appreciated his honesty, "then you know that I came close to giving up on the cure."

"I can't exactly blame you," Chuck said, nodding. "But I also know he's been hurting you, Gail, and not necessarily in the good way." His smile faded somewhat. "But it's a fine line, sometimes. Believe me, I know from personal experience." He took a deep breath, and then told her about the woman he had paid to whip him that one time. He saw her mouth open, and he knew what she was about to say, so he held his hand up. "I'm not saying that's you, Gail. I'm really not. I just told you that to show you that I really do get it. There's something very appealing about being dominated in bed. You and I are a lot alike, Gail. We like books, and we like to intellectualize things, but we both have trouble with people sometimes. I've never been in love, unfortunately. But I know what I would be like if I was. I've never thought I was good enough for anybody to love me, and that's why I was such an evil douche to everyone. And I know you don't think you're good enough for Cas to love. You never have. That's why you let him do just about anything to you that he wants. You feel like you're lucky he even wants to be with you at all. You know the way the female Angels look at him, and you're afraid he'll just wise up one day and realize how ordinary you really are, and he'll move on." Chuck sat back again. He'd been leaning forward during his soliloquy, and when he'd seen her eyes fill up with tears, he knew that he had hit the mark. Was Chuck absolutely sure that he was one of the good guys now?

But that was what Gail had been looking for, and even though it had hurt her to hear her own thoughts expressed so clearly, and coming out of Chuck's mouth, she was glad that he had said them, and glad he understood her.

"It's all true," she said quietly. "Thanks, Chuck."

"What are you thanking me for?" he said, almost angrily. "I'm the scum of the earth. Look at you. Haven't you been beaten up enough?"

"Apparently not." She tried to smile through the tears.

"Look, Gail. I've known Cas for years," Chuck told her. "And I can tell he genuinely loves you. I've never seen him like he is when he's with you. He always seemed to be above us all before." He smiled bitterly. "Maybe that's why I used to hate him so much. He just seemed to float through Heaven, oblivious to all the admiring stares from the female Angels, and from a few of the guys, too. But after he met you, he changed. I could see it in him, Gail."

"Yeah, but that was before. He's something totally different now, Chuck," she said sadly.

"Yes, but maybe not as different as you think," Chuck replied. "The Cas we know is still in there. I'm sure of it." She looked at him warily. "Yeah? What makes you say that?" Gail asked skeptically. She had thought so, too; but after Vancouver, Gail had really started to wonder. Maybe, when she thought she'd seen flashes of the old Castiel, it had just been the Demon manipulating her all along.

Chuck sighed. He hadn't been planning on telling her this, but maybe she needed to hear it. "Well, for one thing, his encounter with the Pope really did happen. I saw it."

Gail nodded. That was good to know. She had taken the story at face value at the time, but, after earlier tonight, she had been wondering if Demon Cas had made that up just to suck her in. She sighed. "Too bad he couldn't have taken the vampire out of Cas at the same time," she said to Chuck. It felt freeing to be able to say something like that out loud and not have the person you were talking to screw their face up in disgust. Chuck understood that, too. Even though the diseased potion was dictating Cas's urges right now, Chuck knew that some people were into that sort of thing. And even though it wasn't his cup of tea, Chuck wouldn't condemn anyone, if both were consenting adults and both liked it.

"When Cas was in Hell, he had the opportunity to torture Aurielle, but he didn't. I saw that, too. And he was in a room alone with her, and she basically threw herself at him. But he told her he loved you, and to get lost," Chuck told Gail. He was embellishing just a tad, but not by much; Chuck thought that Gail needed to hear that Cas hadn't crossed that line.

Gail felt about ten different emotions, all at once. She was inexplicably and mostly glad that Cas hadn't tortured Aurielle. She supposed that meant he still had some chivalry left in him, or whatever that represented in that particular situation. Then Gail pictured Aurielle straddling Castiel in the cabin, and him kissing her for an instant. Now, for just a second, Gail wished that Cas HAD tortured her. Aurielle had quite a big part in what was wrong in their lives right now, and Gail hadn't forgotten that. But mainly, she just felt warm inside. Cas was a Demon now, and so was Aurielle. Presumably, no one would have known if Cas had decided to try a different flavour. Gail knew that she herself was the only woman Cas had ever been with, and he had been around since Creation. That was an awful lot of time, and an awful lot of monogamy. Actually, Gail had been a little surprised that Cas was still a virgin when they had met. As good-looking and charming as he was, it was almost shocking that he had never been with any other woman before. And quite frankly, now that Gail had been the only beneficiary of his amazing skills in that department, she wouldn't be able to stand his using them on anyone else.

"Thanks for telling me that, Chuck. It means a lot to me," Gail told him.

He nodded, then raised an eyebrow to her. "Vampirism, though? Metatron really went off the grid on that one."

Gail smiled sadly. There was that refreshing bluntness again. "Yeah, he sure did," she agreed. "And since we're bring so honest with each other, there was a part of me that didn't really mind. He was so grateful afterwards, and he had a hell of a way of showing his gratitude." She pictured Cas between her legs, licking her enthusiastically, and she shivered. Then she looked sharply at Chuck. He couldn't read thoughts too, could he? But then she shrugged. It wasn't as if Chuck hadn't seen it all already. He'd confessed to her that he had, and that it had excited him. She supposed she should be mortified by that, and angry with Chuck. But for some reason she could accept that from him, when she wouldn't have been able to accept it from anyone else.

"But it leads to too much blood, and too much pain," she continued. "I may like a little aggressiveness, but I'm not into S&M, Chuck."

He nodded again. "I hear you, Gail. Thanks for talking to me so honestly. I'd be the last person to judge you. And it's OK to feel the way you feel. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. I read a quote somewhere: 'Do not be dismayed to learn there is a bit of devil in you. There is a bit of the devil in us all.'" He smiled. "That's certainly been true of me all my life. Even though I'm an Angel again, and I'm trying to be a good guy."

"You ARE a good guy, Chuck," she assured him. "Thanks for listening to me the way you have, and for not judging me. That was exactly what I needed."

"Well, I think I might have done most of the talking," he said, smiling. "But if it helped, then I'm glad."

"It did." Gail reached out her hand and put it on top of his. He took her hand and squeezed it for a moment, then let go.

"That Demon bastard is a lucky guy," Chuck quipped. But he continued to smile, and Gail couldn't help but smile back.

"Speaking of which..." Gail said. She told Chuck about the ingredients she'd already gotten for the cure, and the latest ingredients she needed to get, and asked him if he had any ideas.

Chuck mused. "That's one hell of an assortment. What a crazy potion that must have been." He looked at her. "You have the spell book here in the library, right?"

"Yeah," Gail confirmed. She looked over at the shelf where Dean had placed it, after their initial meeting with Oliver. Sam hadn't bothered to file it amongst the others in the witchcraft category, in case they needed to put their hands on it quickly.

"Mind if I take a look?" Chuck asked her.

"Sure." She shrugged and walked over to get the book. She handed it to him, and Chuck flipped through it. He noticed that someone had written on the last page: "Magic is all about words and believing. If you believe, then anything is possible." Chuck looked up at Gail. "Have you seen this?" he said, showing it to her.

"No, I never looked that closely at the stupid thing," she admitted to him. "Considering what I'm trying to do, maybe I should, but I just don't have much stomach for it." She looked at the page he was showing her. "So, anything is possible if you just believe, huh? Well, isn't that nice," she said sarcastically. "That just takes care of that, then."

Chuck smirked. "That sounds like one of those things you see on Facebook. You know, the sayings that are designed to inspire people, but that make you want to roll your eyes right out of your head."

Gail laughed. "Thank you!" she said. "You just said exactly what I was thinking!"

"Hey, just because we're Angels doesn't mean we can't tell it like it is," Chuck said, but he instantly regretted it as her face fell. "I'm sorry, Gail. You know I didn't mean anything by that. I'm just so used to thinking of you as an Angel."

"I know that, Chuck," she said, sighing. "I don't know what I am right now, or even what I want to be."

Chuck closed the book and looked at her closely. "You don't need to decide that right now, Gail. Let's just focus on the goal. You're right, though; I don't think this book is the answer." He put it back on the table. "We have to approach this logically. You need a vampire's fang. Well, if you need to get something from a monster, you have to go where the monsters are, right?"

Gail shrugged. "I was going to ask Sam to start net-surfing tomorrow. Maybe call Frank too, see what he's heard." Poor Frank, she thought. He kept being chased away. But she still thought it was best that he stay on the road for the time being. She would really have to make it up to him once this was all over.

"You may not have to go through all that," Chuck said. "I know where there are a ton of vampires right now."

"Really?" Gail brightened. "Where?"

"Purgatory," Chuck replied.

Gail's mouth dropped open. She hadn't thought of that. He was right, but: "The only problem is, who do we know who could go there? You have to be dead to go there, don't you? Or an otherworldly being, at least." She thought furiously. "I'd go myself, but I'm not nearly a good enough fighter for that place." Chuck opened his mouth to speak, but Gail held her hand up. "And don't say Sam and Dean," she said. "I'm not having them killed again. Well, Dean, anyway."

Chuck looked at her, startled. "What?"

She laughed shortly, telling him the story about having Crowley kill Dean so Dean could accompany her to Lucifer's cage that first time.

"Oh, no, you don't want that," Chuck said, horrified. "You're lucky that worked out. You can't trust Crowley, Gail. He's the King of Hell for a reason."

"He's all right," she said, with a casual wave of her hand. "You just have to know how to handle him."

But Chuck grabbed her hand in mid-wave. "Yeah, well, while you're handling him, just make sure he's not handling you," he said pointedly.

She took her hand away. She knew that Chuck was just looking out for her, but she felt an affinity for Crowley now that no one else obviously did. "He's not handling me, Chuck. He's actually helped me a lot, and he hasn't asked for anything in return."

Chuck's gaze was piercing now. "What's a blood bond, Gail?"

What? How could he - Oh. Yeah. She kept forgetting. She shrugged. "I don't know. Cas mentioned something about that, but I don't really get it," she said offhandedly.

"You want to be very careful about that, Gail," Chuck said grimly. "I don't know what it is either, I just know it sounds like trouble."

"Well, there's nothing I can do about it now," she retorted. "I've got both Cas's and Crowley's blood in me now, and I'm the one who let them put it there. And I guess Cas has got some of my blood in him now too, courtesy of our friend Metatron. But Crowley doesn't have any of mine in him, and he's not getting any."

Chuck sighed. "OK, Gail. But, back to this Purgatory thing. I could go."

Gail laughed. "I'm sorry, Chuck. I don't mean to be mean, but I think even I could fight better than you. Since we're being honest, and all."

Chcuk frowned, but he had to admit that she was right. He'd only had the one lesson with Cas, and he had been sore for about a week afterwards. Yeah, they needed somebody who could really fight in that place. Then he had an idea. "What about Jason?" he blurted out.

Gail looked at him, smirking. "Whatever you use to dust those library books must have a really strong chemical in it," she quipped.

But now that Chuck had had his idea, he was starting to warm to it. "Hear me out," he said, thinking furiously. "Ethan told me that Jason told Cas he wants out of the jail, and he wants to be placed in Purgatory. I guess that would be like Disneyland for a guy like him. Maybe Bobby could work out a deal with him, if he agrees to help us. And since he wants to go so badly, maybe we can get him to shed a tear or two over it. Two birds with one stone." He sat back in his chair, pleased with himself.

Interesting, Gail thought. Still..."I don't know, Chuck. It's an interesting premise, but I don't think we could trust him. Besides, even if he got the vampire fang for us, how would we get it from him? He's not going to just bring it back out for us. If he wants to stay there, why would he come out? Then WE could just double-cross HIM."

Chuck thought about that. He supposed she was right. Chuck had had years of experience thinking like a bad guy, and if he were Jason, he would just screw off once he was where he wanted to be. Why would Jason help them? He couldn't be trusted to go to Purgatory alone.

"You're right. We'd have to send somebody with him. Somebody who's a great fighter, and somebody who could help Jason get what we need, and who would bring it back to us. Somebody who would make sure Jason behaves himself until the job is done."

"You realize who you just described, right?" Gail said with a small smile.

"Yeah," Chuck said, smiling also. "Cas."

But she was alarmed. No! She'd been thinking of Crowley. And yes, that also described Cas to a tee, but how could she send Cas and Jason into Purgatory together? Put weapons in their hands, and only one would come out alive, and it might be the wrong one.

"No way, Chuck," she said, shaking her head. "I can't allow that."

Chuck shrugged. "Who says you're the only one whose opinion counts here, Gail?" She looked at him sharply, but he continued. "Look, I know that Cas is a Demon bastard right now, but maybe that's exactly what he needs to be for a job like this. And the cure is for him, isn't it, Gail? Don't you think that he might want to have a say?"

She scoffed. "He doesn't even want the cure."

"I don't believe that, Gail. Our Cas is still in there. I know he is," Chuck said earnestly. Chuck had seen Cas get down on his knees and beg Crowley to revive Gail's brother, and Chuck knew that an actual Demon would never have done something like that. So he was convinced that there was still a part of Cas that could be reached. But he couldn't tell her about that, of course.

"I thought so too, once," Gail said sadly, "but I don't know any more."

"Why don't you give him a shot?" Chuck said. "What have you got to lose?"

Gail let out a breath. "Oh, I don't know. How about my sanity? My self-respect? My dignity?"

"So you're saying you have all of those things now?" Chuck said, smirking.

Gail started to smile. "You realize I'm a Demon now too, right? I'm not above punching you in the face right now."

Chuck laughed, taking her hand. "Let's go on a road trip."

"What? You mean right now?" she asked him.

"None of us sleep," Chuck pointed out.

"Actually, Cas might be sleeping. He does that now, sometimes," she said, frowning.

"So? We'll wake him up," Chuck said lightly. "I'm sure he'll be just thrilled to see me."

Gail laughed. "OK, what about Bobby, then?" she asked him.

Chuck leaned forward. "Screw him."

They were both still laughing when Gail winked them out of the bunker.

But Cas wasn't sleeping. He had been sitting up brooding ever since Gail had winked out from underneath him. He had really done it this time, ranting about not wanting the cure. What the hell had he been thinking? Look how much she had sacrificed for him in her efforts to get the ingredients for the cure. No wonder she had freaked out. And what had he been doing all this time to help her? Yes, he had helped out a bit in Rome, but aside from that, he had just been a burden to her. She was doing all this for him, and all he was doing in return was making her miserable. The Demon didn't want the cure, but Castiel did, and so did Cas. The sex was amazing, but everything else had turned into dust in his hands. And even when they'd had such a loving reunion tonight, he had ruined it. He was surprised she hadn't given up on curing him by now. He just wasn't worth it.

Suddenly, Gail appeared at the foot of the bed, and incredibly, she was holding Chuck's hand. Was his jealousy and insecurity so bad that it was now inducing hallucinations?

"We came to talk to you," Gail said to Cas. "If there's any part of you that still wants the cure, come out to the living room." She pulled Chuck by the hand. Even though she had a chaperone now, Gail didn't want to look at Cas in bed any longer than she had to. It was all to easy for her to visualize all the things she'd like him to do to her in there.

Cas stared after them, astonished. What the hell was this, now? She had come back, after he had behaved so horribly to her once again, and she was still talking about the cure. But what was Chuck doing with her? He'd better get out there, before she changed her mind. He leaped out of the bed and threw on pants and a shirt.

Chuck and Gail were sitting on the couch when Cas came out to the living room. "Hey, Cas," Chuck said casually. "How are you doing?"

"About the same as I was the last time you saw me," Cas replied, frowning. "Unfortunately." He took the chair across from the couch and looked at Gail. He wanted to apologize, but he didn't want to say too much with Chuck right there.

Gail read the expression on his face. "It's OK. We can speak freely in front of Chuck," she told Cas. "He knows everything. And I do mean, EVERYTHING." Her lips twitched.

Cas was puzzled for a moment, but then he realized: Chuck was a Prophet, after all. He probably HAD seen just about everything.

"In that case, I need to apologize to both of you," Cas said, smiling wryly. "I'm ashamed of myself, and of my behaviour. If I thought it would do any good, I would get down on my knees and beg your forgiveness, Gail. But I don't expect it, and I don't deserve it. I can't believe you're even still talking about the cure after the way I've treated you."

"I can't believe it, either," Chuck quipped.

Cas glared at Chuck, but then he saw that both Chuck and Gail were smiling. What was going on with those two? How jealous should he be right now?

"But since she is, and since she insists she loves you, I guess I need to help," Chuck continued. Cas brightened at that. He looked at Gail again, but her expression was neutral. "I had an idea, Cas," Chuck told him.

"Yeah, and it's about the craziest one I've ever heard," Gail said now, rolling her eyes.

Chuck nudged her with his elbow. "Let him hear it first," he admonished her gently.

Gail sighed, sitting back against the couch cushions. "Well then, by all means, go ahead," she said, gesturing with her hand.

Chuck told Cas what he had been thinking, and Gail waited for Cas to laugh, or to roll his eyes as she had done. But his expression was serious, and he appeared to be mulling it over.

"That's an interesting idea, Chuck," Cas said to him. "It might even work."

Gail sat up straight. "You can't seriously be considering this," she said to Cas.

"I can, and I am," he answered her. She almost smiled. This was her Castiel talking now, she could tell.

"But that's crazy," Gail protested. She looked at Chuck, and then back at Cas. "You're both nuts. You and Jason, with weapons, in Purgatory? I just don't even have enough words for eveything that's wrong with that picture."

Cas stood and came over to the couch. "Can I trade places with you, Chuck? Please."

Gail stood, too. "Why do you want to do that?"

Cas sighed. She didn't trust him any more. Not that he could blame her. But it still hurt. "I just wanted to sit beside you for a moment," he told her. "And hold your hand, if you'll let me. That's all. I swear."

She looked him in the eyes. He seemed sincere enough, and Chuck was here with her, anyway. Cas wasn't wearing his blazer, but she had to make sure. "Frisk him, Chuck," Gail said. Chuck looked at her, then he shrugged and said, "You heard the lady, Cas."

Cas nodded and extended his arms to the side, opening up his stance. It wasn't as if he didn't have the practice. Ironically enough, considering what they were talking about now, Jason used to frisk Cas every day when Cas was a prisoner during the tribunal. He knew the drill. And he respected Gail's request. Even though it pained him, a part of him was glad that she was taking no chances. He'd always known how smart she was; now she was proving it.

Chuck moved his hands up and down Cas's body, smiling to himself. This was a first; he'd never actually frisked anyone before. But he'd seen lots of cop shows on TV, so he just did what he had seen them do on those. He couldn't feel any kind of a weapon, so he stepped back and looked at Gail. "He's clean," Chuck said, trying for a tough-guy voice. But she raised an eyebrow to him, and he couldn't help but smile.

Then Chuck went over to sit in the chair Cas had just vacated, and Cas sat down next to Gail. He looked at her bandaged arm. "Would you please let me heal that?" he asked her.

She sighed. "Sure, Cas. Thanks." Might as well take advantage, while he was acting all civilized. She extended her arm, and he began to gently unwrap the bandage.

"I'm surprised Chuck didn't do this for you," Cas told her. But secretly, he was a little pleased. Cas loved doing this for her; it was the Demon who kept on hurting her.

Whap! Chuck hit his forehead with his palm. "I can't believe I didn't think of that!" Chuck exclaimed. He was ashamed of himself. Maybe he hadn't thought of it because he'd never healed anyone before, but still...He looked at Gail. "I'm so sorry, Gail. I'm an idiot," Chuck said to her.

"That's OK, Chuck. I didn't think of it, either. And I didn't ask Bobby, when he was there. So maybe I'm the idiot," Gail said, shrugging.

Cas said nothing, but he started to seethe. So, both Chuck and Bobby had been there, and neither of them had bothered to heal her, or even to make the offer? Was it any wonder that he was leery of Angels sometimes? He looked at Gail as he continued to unwrap her bandage. "Bobby was there?" he asked her quietly.

She could tell he was angry now, but Gail wasn't sure exactly why. Was he upset that she was hanging out with God and with Angels while he himself was a Demon, cut off from their former friends?

"Yeah, but he didn't hang around," Gail replied. "We're not exactly getting along that well these days. He spends a lot of time being mad at me lately."

"I don't know why he should be mad at you," Cas said, frowning. "You've done nothing wrong."

"He's mad at her because she keeps coming to see you," Chuck piped up. He'd been on a roll with this honesty thing, and he thought that Cas could use a dose of it, too.

But Cas stopped what he was doing and turned to look at Chuck with those strange purple eyes, and they had darkened. "Is that so?" he asked Chuck. "Well, what business is it of Bobby's, anyway? Shouldn't that be up to Gail to decide?"

Chuck was intimidated by Cas's look, but he was determined to remain calm. Gail needed somebody to stick up for her, and Cas had to be told that he couldn't just expect to get away with the crap that he had been pulling. "I think it's all of our business when you hurt Gail," Chuck said calmly.

The hand Cas was using to hold Gail's arm steady while he unwrapped her bandage closed tightly around her. "Ow! Cas!" Gail exclaimed, trying to pull away. "If you're just going to hurt me some more, don't bother."

Chuck rose from the chair. "What are you doing, Cas?" He didn't really want to get in Cas's face, but he might have to, if Cas didn't let go of Gail.

Cas's hand flew off her arm immediately. "I'm sorry," he said to Gail. "I just got angry at what Chuck said."

Chuck remained standing, but he didn't approach Cas. When he'd seen Cas remove his hand from Gail's arm, Chuck stood down. But now he was getting a liitle mad himself. "Look, Cas, if you're mad at me, then just tell me, but don't take it out on Gail. You take way too much out on her as it is. Like how crappy you feel about yourself. Like you don't deserve to be loved. Well, it's not her fault you're a Demon bastard now, and it's not mine, either."

Oh, crap, Gail thought. Cas was starting to get angry, and she didn't think he was going to respond as well to the "tough love" approach as she had. She looked at Chuck, trying the non-verbal communication thing.

Cas had removed his hands from Gail, and he was curling them into fists now, trying to control his temper. Everything Chuck was saying was true, but it was difficult for Cas to hear. He'd reached a new low now, being called out by Chuck, of all people.

"All right, Chuck. You can sit down now," Cas said, looking up at him. "I'm not touching her any more, as you can clearly see."

"No. I don't think I will," Chuck said. "In fact..." He walked over to the couch, gesturing to Gail. "Give it here," he told her.

She unwound the rest of the bandage and extended her arm to Chuck, ignoring Cas's glare. Chuck took her arm gently and touched her wound with his other hand, healing it.

"That's how you do that," Chuck said to Cas. Then he turned around and walked back to the chair, sitting down again.

Gail smiled at him. "Thanks, Chuck."

Cas was looking murderous now, but he made no move towards Chuck. He took a deep breath. He should have been the one to heal her, but it seemed like he couldn't even go near Gail these days without hurting her in some way, one way or the other. He would have to channel the warrior in him now. He turned to Chuck.

"I'll do it," Cas told him.

"Cas-" Gail started to say, but he turned back to her. "I need to do this, Gail," he said, and he was agitated now. "I need to do something productive. Chuck is right. I've been doing nothing but feeling sorry for myself for a long time now. Ever since the tribunal, really. I've got to let that go. I've been so unfair to you, so - " his voice caught, and he ran his hand through his hair in frustration. Crowley had also been right; the Demon was making him stupid. He couldn't even form a complete sentence any more. He tried again. "I have to make it up to you, Gail. I have to - " his voice broke again. He looked at her hand. "Can I please take your hand, Gail? Please?"

She sighed. He was doing it to her again. Making her feel sorry for him. She could tell he was sincere, but Gail was getting a little fed up with his mood swings. When was SHE going to be allowed to have mood swings? It was really easy for him, wasn't it, traipsing around Europe and waiting for her to show up with a report on another ingredient that she had obtained, or for a booty call, or both. Meanwhile, Gail was the one who had been going through the pain of what Cas had been doing to her, and weathering the anger and the stares of disapproval from Sam and Dean, and their other friends who knew what was going on. And from her own brother. That had hurt the most.

"No," she snapped at Cas, folding her arms. "Just say what you want to say, so Chuck and I can leave."

Cas was looking at her sadly, and now Chuck weighed in. "Let him take your hand, Gail, for God's sake."

She glared lasers at him. Et tu, Chuck? A second ago, he'd been on her side, confronting Cas on her behalf. Now Chuck was feeling sorry for him, and she was the bad guy. She sighed again. She didn't know why Cas was feeling sorry for himself, anyway; he was the luckiest Demon bastard in the world, as far as she was concerned.

Gail held out her hand for Cas to take, and as soon as he took it, Cas found himself able to say what he needed to say. "If you and Chuck can intervene on my behalf, yet again - " he gave Gail a wry smile, " - I'll come to the bunker and meet with Bobby, to see if we can work something out with Jason. We'll tell Jason he can stay in Purgatory, if he can help me get the vampire fang, and give me his tears. Then I'll use the exit that Dean and I used, to come back here and deliver both things to you. I can also help with Aurielle's tears, if you want. I want the cure, Gail. I really do. The Demon is the one who doesn't, but I'm going to try my best to make sure he doesn't get his wish."

Gail considered this. It was really the most she could ask for, at this point. She still didn't like the idea of Cas and Jason together in Purgatory, though. They hated each other, and they would both have weapons, out of necessity. What was to prevent Jason from killing Cas while his back was turned? She asked Cas this now.

Castiel smiled, gently squeezing her hand. "Well, as Chuck so aptly pointed out, I'm a 'Demon bastard' now. This may be the only occasion I can think of where that would be a good thing. Jason will not be killing me there. I have too much to come back for."

He was making Gail nuts now. If she didn't know better, she'd swear that the Pope had performed an exorcism on him. She looked at Chuck helplessly, hoping that he wouldn't think she was the bitch here. Was this the Demon putting on an Oscar-winning performance, or was it really Castiel talking? Chuck raised an eyebrow to her. He didn't know, either.

"OK, Cas. We'll talk to Bobby in the morning. Sam and Dean, too," Gail told Cas. "If Bobby's willing, we'll call you and invite you over, and then Bobby can bring Jason down. Then we'll see if we can do a deal." Gail smiled to herself. If she could just figure out a way to get Crowley involved, they'd probably get Jason to agree to just about anything. But she'd better keep her mouth shut about that. She seemed to be the only one who no longer felt revulsion at the mere mention of Crowley's name.

Cas grabbed her other hand, and he held both of her hands in both of his. "Thank you. I won't let any of you down. I promise," he said.

Gail looked into his eyes. She thought he was sincere, but she had been fooled before. But if he was willing to return to the bunker, with all of those good guys around, she would give him a chance to prove his sincerity. And once he was in Purgatory, she would just have to trust that he could handle himself long enough to stay alive, and to get what they needed. He might be fighting the Demon within himself now, but if he let it out there, Gail was pretty sure he would come out the victor of any battle.

She let go of Cas's hands and looked at Chuck. It was time to go. "Come on, Chuck, let's go," she said to him. She stood, and Cas stood at the same time. "We'll wait for the guys to wake up in the bunker. Maybe we'll even wait an hour or so and then wake them up. They may want to roll out the red carpet for our special guest. Or, get out the poison," she joked grimly. Yeah, this was going to go over big with the brothers, all right. Jason, sitting in the bunker. They'd probably want to disinfect the chair afterwards. Gail wasn't too wild about the idea of sitting down at the table with Jason either. But, what the hell. She had done a lot worse in her quest for the cure.

Chuck and Cas both smiled at her comment about the poison. If they didn't need something from him, Castiel would be happy to pour some poison down Jason's throat. Then he'd wait for Jason to swallow it, and then he would pour some more down there, just for good measure. Castiel hadn't forgotten Jason's role in his current predicament, and that would seem like poetic justice to him. And he still owed Jason some payback for all those times that Jason had hurt and tortured Gail. He had been interrupted during his torture of Jason at the cabin, and he hadn't been able to do nearly as much as he'd wanted to do to Jason at the prison. And Cas didn't like to be interrupted. Even then, Metatron's cocktail had been running through his veins, and he felt as though he and Jason had some unfinished business. Castiel was making no promises that Jason would survive their little excursion. Once Castiel had gotten what he needed from his old compatriot, Jason was expendable.

Cas looked at Gail. "So, you'll call me in a few hours, then?"

"Yep," Gail answered.

Cas smiled. "Is it all right if I say goodbye to you in our customary way?"

Gail thought for a moment. "Yeah, OK, Cas."

Cas turned to look at Chuck. "Can you avert your eyes for a minute?"

Chuck smirked. "Why, what are you going to do in one minute?"

Gail couldn't help but smile. He wouldn't believe the things the two of them could do in one minute. Then she remembered Chuck's confession to her. Yeah, he probably would.

"OK, but if I hear the sound of clothes coming off, I'm turning back around," Chuck quipped, turning his back on the couple.

He would have to go and say that. Now that was all that Gail could think about. Cas put his arms around her and kissed her, and she opened her mouth to receive his tongue. His arms tightened around her, and Gail moved closer to him. Cas's hands slipped under her top and he caressed her bare skin. He sighed, wishing Chuck weren't here.

"We could send Chuck back to the bunker for a moment," Cas said softly in her ear, smiling. Then he gave her ear a couple of licks.

Gail shivered. Despite how angry she'd been at him, now she wanted to do just that.

"Guys? Guys!" Chuck said. He turned back around and saw them kissing, and Cas's hands moving underneath her top. Chuck smiled. "Do you guys want me to go back to the bunker alone?" Chuck half-joked.

"Could you?" Cas said, continuing to caress Gail.

"Gail?" Chuck said. It had really been her who he was asking, anyway.

She looked up at Cas. Should she take the chance? But if he was willing to go into Purgatory with Jason, didn't he deserve some kind of send-off? Yeah, it was easy to rationalize, when you really wanted something.

"I'll tell you what, Chuck," she said, staring at Cas's eyes. They weren't dark at the moment, just sparkling. Oh, what the hell. "I'll be there in an hour."

"If you're not, I'm coming back to get you," Chuck told her. "Are we clear, Cas?" Chuck understood them better than most, but that didn't mean he couldn't set limits. If anything bad happened to Gail, Chuck would be responsible. But he had an open mind, and he was thinking the same thing Gail was: If they were going to send Cas into Purgatory, he might as well get a little action before he went. He'd be seeing plenty of action once he got there, and not the good kind.

Cas glanced at Chuck. "We're clear, Chuck. I'll send her, don't worry."

"See you in an hour, Chuck," Gail said. She was kissing Cas's neck now, and Cas was smiling.

Chuck shook his head slowly. Must be nice. He winked himself back to the bunker.

Gail unzipped Cas's pants and started to stroke him. She couldn't believe she was actually doing this. Hadn't she just promised Dean, and herself, that she wouldn't be here alone with him like this any more? But he was her Cas right now, she was sure of it, and she wanted to make love to the right guy for a change.

He reached for her, but she shook her head. "In a minute," she said, smiling. She got down on her knees and took him in her mouth. Cas gasped. He remembered when she'd done this to him in Las Vegas. It had been the most amazing thing he'd ever felt in his life. He closed his eyes and smiled, moving with her. He felt incredible. She was so good to do this for him. He managed to keep the Demon away for the moment. This was just him and Gail now, and he wanted it to be this way all the time.

She was giving him little licks now, barely touching him with her fingertips. Teasing him. "Gail," he said. "Please." She smiled. She knew how good this felt. After another moment, she took him in her mouth again, moving slowly at first, then faster. Cas gasped again. She was amazing. He touched her head, stroking her hair. He told her he loved her, and then he cried out. This was so intense that he never wanted it to end. He shouted out her name and then it was over, all too soon.

Cas pulled her to her feet and kissed her, opening her mouth with his tongue. She gave him hers, and he had her pants open now.

"Lay down for me, please," Cas said between kisses.

Gail laid down on the couch, and Cas took off her pants. Then he gently opened her legs and used his tongue on her. Her body jerked, but by now Cas knew that this was a good thing, so he continued, smiling. "It's so good, Cas," she told him, and he was happy to be making her feel that way. The Demon was crazy for wanting to hurt her, and the Demon had to go. Cas would be glad to take the cure, and when he had, he could love her like this every night, if she wanted.

She moved closer to him now and he sped up his motion, making her cry out his name. She held his head there and he slowed down, but then sped up again. She cried out again, then he repeated the process, and she cried out yet again. This was Cas making her feel this way, not the Demon, and Cas was so happy.

He was so excited that he entered her now, holding her legs up in the air, looking at her face. She was smiling, telling him that she loved him. He pushed forward, feeling the warmth spread through his body. She was incredible. He lay on top of her, kissing her on the mouth. She was caressing her back and shoulders, and then she touched his face with both hands. "I love you, Cas," she said, looking into his eyes. "This is really you, isn't it?"

"It's me, Gail," he told her. "Finally. It was actually me making you feel that good, not him."

"It was always you, Cas," she replied, and her expression was serious.

"No, it wasn't," he said sadly. "It was the Demon, most of the time."

"Not in my mind," she replied. "In my mind, it was you, every single time. It's you that I love. We have to get rid of him. Then it can be just you and me again. I miss that."

Cas frowned. "He's trying to come back now. But before he does, I need to know: Why do you love me?"

Gail was surprised by his question. "Why? Because," she said simply. "Because I exist. Because every thought I have is about you, all the time."

Cas was agitated. "But I've hurt you so many times. Yet you still haven't given up on me. Why?"

"You can never give up on someone you can't go a minute without thinking about," Gail said.

"I love you so much," Cas told her.

"Ok, turnabout is fair play. So I'll ask you: why? Why do YOU love ME?" Gail said, thinking of her conversation with Chuck. Boy, did Chuck ever have her figured out. And earlier tonight, Chuck had also told Cas that he knew that Cas thought he was not good enough to be loved, either. They had both confessed to such things while playing Lucifer's little game, but she hadn't been sure how much of that had been heat-of-the-moment and how much had been real. And she had never talked to Cas about it, because she knew that most of the time she would be talking to the Demon.

Cas knew that, too. They would have to talk about many things once the Demon was gone; and not just with each other, but with everyone. He'd badly damaged all of his relationships now, perhaps irrevocably. He knew how Dean, Sam and Bobby felt about him now. And Frank? He would never be able to get along with Gail's brother now, because Frank would never be able to trust him, even once he had been cured. Chuck was the only one who still seemed to be able to be cordial with him. Maybe Chuck could relate to him more because Chuck had once been a bad guy, too. Out of all the people Gail could have brought here with her tonight, Cas was glad it had been Chuck.

But they were alone now, and she had asked him the same question that he had asked of her. "Why do I love you?" Cas repeated. Then he smiled. He now understood how hard it was to answer that question. How could you put it into words? He thought she had done very well in that regard, but he wanted to do better. "Because I exist." He echoed her words back to her. "Because you're you. Because there are so many things about you to love. Because I can't stand being apart from you, not even for one minute," he continued. "All of that, and so much more."

Gail smiled. He really meant it. She still couldn't believe it, but she could tell that he was sincere. "All of the things you just said are exactly how I feel about you," she told him, kissing him softly on the lips.

"We've been spending so much time feeling badly about ourselves that we've almost forgotten how to feel good about each other," Cas said, his smile turning sad.

"You're right," Gail agreed. "And we'll have to talk about all of that when this thing is over. But right now, what do you say we feel good just one more time? Then I have to go before Chuck comes back, looking for me."

Cas rose and extended his hand to her. "Let's go to the bedroom."

He laid her down on the bed and began to kiss her all over. "You're healing," Cas said to her. "I'm glad. I'm not going to let him hurt you like that again."

Gail smiled down at him. He was licking her belly button now, and it tickled, but it felt good, too. So did everything he did to her, when it was done with love. She appreciated what Cas had said, but Gail doubted he'd be able to follow through on his promise, good intentions aside. But she didn't want to spoil the moment by saying so.

She reached down for him, but Cas shook his head. "No, Gail," he said. "This last time is just for you. I want to carry this memory with me when I go into Purgatory."

Why did he have to go and say that? Now she really began to regret having gone along with the idea. What if things went wrong there? "Promise me you'll come back," Gail said to him.

He was kissing and licking her thighs now, and he stopped for a moment, looking up at her. "I promise you I'll come back, and I'll have what we need when I do," he said. "You and I have never broken a promise to each other, and I won't start now."

Gail nodded. That was true. It was the Demon who did that, not Cas.

He caressed her thighs and she opened her legs to him. He lowered his head and teased her with his tongue. Gail whimpered at the sensation. "Cas," she sighed. He smiled, but he wasn't going to make her plead. That was the Demon's way. Cas just wanted to love her, and to leave her with the memory of him loving her like this just in case things went wrong in Purgatory. He had every intention of succeeding, but in a place like that, there were no guarantees. He only knew that he was going to do this for them and their future, or die trying.

He made love to her with his lips and with his tongue, and she was telling him how much she loved him. It was strange; the Demon kept insisting that she say it, making her beg, doing terrible things to her and demanding her to say that she liked them. They would be talking about that, too. He wanted to know what she truly liked, and what she truly didn't, and whatever she said, he would abide by. He didn't care what it would be; it was all good. She was saying that she loved him now because she wanted to, not because he was forcing her to. It was still inexplicable to him, but apparently she really did love him for some reason. He would spend the rest of his days trying to make her happy, both in this room and outside of it, if she'd let him. He had a lot of making up to do.

Gail was giving herself over to the feeling now, crying out loudly. Cas was really making love to her, using his tongue on her to make her feel incredible. This was beyond anything she had ever felt from him before. He was putting all the love he had for her into what he was doing, and she could feel it. Wave after wave of pleasure was washing over her, and she lost her words because it was so good. Cas was smiling. Just when it seemed like she was going to calm down, she continued, and she said his name, holding his head and crying out again. And still he continued. He was killing her. He had to stop. She never wanted him to stop.

Finally, she was truly done, and he came up to lie beside her. "I could just do that all day long," he told her, smiling gently.

"I could let you," she breathed, answering his smile.

She could see that he was excited again, and she reached for him, but he stopped her. "No, Gail," he said, his smile fading. "The Demon is coming back, and he wants you to lay on your stomach."

"I don't mind doing that, Cas," she said to him.

"We'll talk about that, after all this is over," Cas told her. "If that's something that we both decide we want to do, fine. But he's not going to get the chance to hurt you again, Gail. I told you that, and I meant it."

He kissed her on the forehead and then got off the bed. He went to the living room and got her clothes, bringing them to her.

"I really don't want you to, but you'd better go," he said, smiling sadly. "I'll look forward to receiving my invitation to the bunker." His eyes started to darken. "I can't wait to see my old friend Jason."

Gail saw his eyes change, and his expression was darkening now, too. His smile became sardonic, and Gail could see in his face that the Demon was coming back. She got out of bed and dressed hurriedly, before he had the thought to grab her. This version of Cas would hurt her, she knew. She had the ability to tell the difference now, and she didn't want to deal with the Demon. She was afraid of him. And worse still, she was afraid of herself, because she kind of did want to lie on her stomach for him.

"We'll call you soon," Gail said, and she winked out of the apartment.

Chapter 6 - Reflections

Gail reappeared at the library table and was relieved to see that only Chuck was there, and he was reading Rowena's spell book.

"Good," he said when he saw her. "I was just about to come and get you. Everything OK?"

"Just great," she said, smiling. She sat down next to him. "Thanks, Chuck. I really appreciated that."

He smiled back. He could just bet she did. He'd watched them for a bit, then he had told himself that enough was enough. He was an Angel now, and bad thoughts led to bad deeds. Better to leave that alone, maybe concentrate on something productive instead. So he had picked up the spell book to see if he could find anything in it that would help them. And while he hadn't seen anything they could specifically use in this situation, Chuck had been amazed to see what was actually in that book.

"There's a spell for everything in here," he told her. "There's even a reanimation spell, that supposedly brings people back from the dead. If we'd known about this, Bobby wouldn't have needed Crowley to bring Frank back."

"What?" she exclaimed. What the hell was he talking about?

Oh, crap. Now he'd done it. She wasn't ever supposed to have found out about that.

"What are you talking about, Chuck?" she asked him.

"Nothing. Never mind," he said nervously, closing the book and putting it back on the table.

"That's my brother you're talking about, Chuck. If you know something I don't, you'd better spill it," she said sternly.

Chuck sighed. He supposed that something that big couldn't have stayed a secret forever, but he wished it hadn't been him who opened up their big yap about it. Now she'd be extremely angry with Cas when he got here, and they were supposed to sit down together with Bobby and Sam and Dean and convince them that this cockamamie idea of Chuck's was a good one.

Reluctantly, he told her about Cas having killed Frank when her brother had dropped by the bunker unexpectedly that day, and that Bobby had brought Crowley over to revive Frank before the three of them got back from Oliver's.

"And just when were you guys going to tell me about this?" she demanded.

"The plan was, never," Chuck admitted sheepishly. "Look, Gail, you've been dealing with enough lately. There was no upside in telling you anything like that."

"Upside? I'll give you upside!" she yelled. "How about if I just take that book and knock you upside the head with it?"

"Stop flirting, Gail," Chuck quipped, trying for humour to defuse her anger.

But she was too angry now. Cas had actually killed Frank, and she had just been with him, letting him...She had to calm down. It was Demon Cas who had done that. But she couldn't believe what had been going on behind her back. Poor Frank. How could she ever make this up to him? Thank God for Crowley. And had she really just thought that last thing?

"Why would Crowley bring Frank back to life, though?" she mused aloud. "What would be in it for him?"

"Probably because Cas got down on his knees and begged him to do it," Chuck replied, glad for the opportunity to tell her that. At least she should hear something good about the guy before he got here. The way she was looking right now, Cas might not have to wait until he got to Purgatory; Gail might kill him right here.

She was glad to hear that, at least, but she was still fuming. "So, he got down on his knees? Good! He'd better get used to that position, cause he's going to have to spend some time in it with me when he gets back from Purgatory! And not in the good way, either," she added, her lips twitching.

Chuck smiled. He was sorry for having made Gail angry, but he could also see that she had the right perspective on things. She'd forgive Cas; Chuck knew she would. Still, Chuck wished he'd picked a better time to open up his big mouth.

"What's all the yelling about out here?" It was Sam, who was walking out from the hallway, yawning and stretching. He looked at Chuck. "What are you doing here?"

That was right; he wouldn't know, Gail thought. Sam had been sleeping when Bobby had brought Chuck down. She looked at Chuck. She didn't really want to get into any of what had happened before with Sam. Gail was mindful of what Dean had said about Sam wanting to kill Cas, and she didn't want to give Sam any more reasons to consider it. Not only that, but now she didn't want either Sam or Dean to find out about Cas having killed Frank, either. What a hypocrite she was. She had just been getting mad at Chuck for having been kept in the dark about it, and now she was going to do the same to the brothers. But this meeting was going to be hard enough without giving Sam and Dean even more reasons to be angry with Cas. Once Jason arrived, there would be plenty of hate to go around.

"I'm here to help, Sam," Chuck said, taking her cue. "I had an idea that I think will help us get two out of the three ingredients."

"Yeah? What's that?" Dean said, emerging from the hallway. He passed Sam and headed straight for the coffeemaker. Dean wasn't surprised to see Chuck, of course. He guessed that Gail and Chuck had done a lot of talking; they were still sitting there in the same positions as they'd been when he had gone to bed. But, wait: Dean whirled back around to look at them.

"Where's your bandage, Gail?" Dean asked her, holding the carafe he'd been about to fill with water.

Crap. Well, she was going to have to tell them that she and Chuck had spoken with Cas, anyway, and that he was on board with the idea. So she and Chuck filled the brothers in on Chuck's idea, and their visit to Cas.

Dean had the coffee going now, and he walked back to where they sat, staring down at them. "I don't know if that's the smartest idea I've ever heard, or the dumbest," he told them.

"A little from Column A, a little from Column B," Chuck replied agreeably. "But if you take a minute, I think it'll grow on you."

"I think it's a fine idea," Sam said, sitting down across from them. And he meant it, too. As far as Sam was concerned, it was a win-win. Cas could either come back with the stuff they needed, or he would be killed trying to get it. Either one was OK with Sam at this point.

Gail was looking at him suspiciously. Yeah, Sam was definitely going to need some rehab when all of this was over. It was hard to think how he and Cas could peacefully co-exist in the future. She could just tell that Sam was going to hold a grudge. And Gail didn't know if their little talk had taken, either. He was still looking at her like he wanted her to come to him for comfort, but she'd better not do that; knowing the way he felt about her, it wouldn't be fair to him.

"Can you guys call Bobby?" she asked them. "Then you can call Cas. We can pitch our idea to Bobby and see if he'll agree. If he does, he can bring Jason down and we'll have you guys loan them some weapons. Then Bobby can send them to Purgatory."

Sam and Dean exchanged glances. Just when they thought things couldn't possibly get any weirder, they were going to arm Demon Cas and Angel Jason, bitter enemies, and push them into Purgatory, together? This was nuts.

"I know, I know," Gail said, smiling at their expressions. "Weirdest thing we've ever done, blah blah. But just wait, guys. The week isn't even over yet."

Cas came immediately, and he looked down at Chuck, who was sitting in Cas's usual seat next to Gail. Chuck looked at Cas, then he looked at Gail. He knew she was still mad at Cas. But she shrugged. She was mad at Bobby now too, but she would try to push those feelings aside for the meeting. Things would be tense enough as it was. Cas and Sam and Dean hadn't even greeted each other when Cas had arrived. She didn't think that had ever happened before; as mad as they'd been at him recently, there had at least been a nod of the head, something. She sighed.

Chuck got up and moved to the chair on the other side of Gail, and Cas sat down, putting his hand out for Gail to take. She just looked at it, and at his face. That was the hand that had stabbed her brother to death, and now she was supposed to take it in hers and pretend that never happened?

Cas was puzzled. They'd just had such a wonderful time together. Why was she looking at him like that? "What's wrong, Gail?" he asked her.

But he had brought the Demon with him, too. It had been emerging just as Gail had been leaving, and it was angry to have been denied the chance to be with her. That side of him had a lot of pent-up anger and aggression to express, and he had wanted to start by taking her in his favourite way. He'd do that to her hard, the way he knew they both liked, and maybe take a couple of bites out of her while he was at it. Her skin was healing now, and the Demon liked to see his marks there. And now, she wouldn't even hold his hand? Which of these men at the table had she been with? Maybe she'd been with them all; he had been gone for a while now. And she'd shown up holding hands with Chuck. True, she'd stayed with Cas for a little while afterwards, but she wouldn't let him do everything he'd wanted to do to her. Maybe she'd just been trying to keep him happy so he wouldn't suspect anything.

She saw the expression on his face, and Gail could tell that he was mostly in his Demon phase now. And now, she really didn't want to hold his hand. It was the Demon who had killed her brother, and who had been hurting her all this time.

But Chuck was whispering in her ear. "You'd better do it, Gail. Unless you want to explain to Sam and Dean why you're so pissed off at him right now."

Damn Chuck. But he was right. She didn't want to do that. So she went to take Cas's hand, but he suddenly stood, looking at Chuck.

"What's going on?" Chuck said angrily. "What did you say to her?" The only one that should be whispering anything in her ear was him, when he didn't have his tongue in there, that was. And they'd better not be keeping secrets from him.

"Nothing, Cas," Chuck said uncomfortably. He wasn't afraid of Cas, he told himself. He just didn't want Cas scaring Gail.

But she wasn't scared of Cas; she was getting angry at him again. Him and his ridiculous jealousy. Look at the night she and Cas had just had. What more did he want from her? "Sit down, Cas," she ordered him, rolling her eyes. "Save all that yummy anger for Purgatory."

He looked at her with blazing eyes. "You'd love it if I was killed there, wouldn't you? Then you would be free to move on."

Gail laughed shortly. Oh, he was really testing her now. "If I wanted you dead, I could have done it myself by now," she retorted.

Cas smiled coldly. "I'd like to see you try. I'm stronger than you, and a much better fighter. And it would be difficult for you to hide a weapon when you're lying there naked, enjoying my head between your legs."

Gail couldn't help but smile. That was certainly true. But she couldn't let him get away with that. "You sleep sometimes, don't you?" she said slyly.

He looked startled. That was the reaction she'd been looking for, and she reached out for his hand now. "Come on, Cas, sit down," she said in a quieter voice. "I don't want you dead. Why the hell do you think we're doing all this? It's so you can live, not so you can die."

Cas sat, and the decent part of him was glad to hear her say that. But the Demon was scoffing. Live? As what? An Angel? He didn't think so. The only reason he was going along with this stupid idea was because he was looking forward to killing a bunch of monsters, in very creative ways. It had been way too long since he'd used his blade. And Cas was going to let the Demon out completely once they got there. Purgatory was no place for decency and compassion, and Castiel would not be required there. Cas just had to make sure to show up once the objects were acquired, so that he could bring them safely back to her. The Demon couldn't be allowed to sabotage what Gail was building.

Bobby appeared then, and he looked around the table, frowning. What did this merry little band want to talk to him about now? And none of them looked the least bit happy to be sitting here, either. Sam and Dean were glaring at Cas, Cas was glaring at Chuck, and Chuck was looking at the wall, ignoring everyone but looking uncomfortable.

Bobby took his seat at the end of the table and looked around at them all. "So. What's going on?" he asked.

Sam and Dean told him about Chuck's idea, with Chuck chipping in here and there, trying to persuade Bobby to agree to the plan.

Bobby was shaking his head. What the hell kind of cockamamie plan was this, now? These idjits actually thought this was a good idea?

"Why do we need Jason to get a vampire fang?" he asked them. "Why can't Cas just get one?"

But now he was being the idjit. Even as he said that, Bobby realized they also needed Jason's tears, and that was why he had to accompany Cas.

"Do you really think you can get him to cry?" Bobby asked Cas.

Cas smiled nastily. "Oh, he'll cry when I'm done with him. Don't you worry about that."

Bobby almost shivered. He really hated this Cas. The cure couldn't come soon enough for him. He sighed. "All right. I guess it's worth a shot." He looked at Gail. "Are you OK with this?"

Gail sighed too. "Not really," she half-joked. Then she smiled as Bobby's beard twitched. He knew that Gail had some Demon in her too, and he knew that she had lied to him about some of her recent shenanigans. But she was still in there pitching, supporting Cas, holding his hand, even. She was a good woman, and Cas had better treat her right from now on, or Bobby would make him regret it. Cas was extremely lucky that Bobby had not come to see him privately. Bobby had seriously considered it. He had left here, full of promises to leave Gail alone, and not only had he not done that, he'd come back from Europe to be even closer to her, renting their old apartment in Vancouver. Trying to persuade her to move back in with him and abandon the cure. She'd ended up doing the right thing, but it had been touch-and-go there for a while. If Gail annoyed Bobby sometimes, Cas exasperated him. The only thing that had kept Bobby from popping in and throttling Cas with his bare hands was the fact that he had not harmed Gail any further. But Bobby was sure that it was only a matter of time, and that was another reason that Bobby had agreed to this crazy idea. At least they'd be separated for a while when Cas went to Purgatory. Gail couldn't follow him there.

Bobby rose. "I'll go get Jason, then. We'll pitch him the idea, and if he agrees to cooperate, I'll tell him he can stay there once the job is done." He looked at Cas. "But if he double-crosses you in any way, you have my full permission to kill him."

Cas smiled. The Demon was taking over now, in preparation for Jason's arrival. Not that he needed it, but it was nice to have God's endorsement. That way, when Jason ended up chopped into little tiny pieces, Bobby couldn't be angry with Cas, could he?

Once Bobby left to get Jason, Sam rose to get himself and Dean a refill. He smirked. He should almost put a shot of whiskey in Dean's, before Jason got here. Dean hadn't forgotten Jason's stabbing him in the hand before Cas and Gail surrendered themselves to the tribunal. And Sam had a bone to pick with Jason, too. He had been brutal to Gail, and he was a sadistic son of a bitch. As far as Sam was concerned, Jason and Cas were a perfect match right now. Practically interchangable.

Sam put his and Dean's mugs on the counter, pouring some more coffee into them.

"Come back to the apartment with me," Cas was saying to Gail. "You can wait there for my return."

Gail laughed shortly. This was the Demon talking now, and she knew what that was all about. When he got back from an excursion like that, he was usually out of control, and she had been badly hurt by him. "I can't do that, Cas, and you know why," she told him.

"What do you mean?" she asked angrily.

Gail was aware of the other mens' presence in the room, and even though they knew pretty much everything already, she wasn't prepared to talk about that out loud in front of them. "You know what I mean," she said through gritted teeth.

They had been holding hands, but now Cas grabbed her by the arms, and his fingers were digging into her. "Why are you refusing?" he asked her, narrowing his eyes. "Who are you staying here to be with?"

"Let go, Cas," Gail said. She was starting to get mad again, too. Not this, again. "You're hurting me, and you're being ridiculous."

Sam rushed over to them and grabbed Cas, hauling him to his feet. Cas was so surprised by that he let go of Gail. "Try that again, I'm going for the knife," Sam told Cas. He looked down at Gail. "Go sit beside Dean," Sam told her. "Go."

Gail sighed. She'd better do it; all she needed was for Sam to be threatening Cas with a knife when Bobby got back with Jason. Jason would probably become Sam's new best friend.

She rose and walked around the table, sitting in the seat Sam had recently vacated. Sam put his hand on Cas's shoulder and shoved him back into his chair, hard. Cas glared at Sam, but he made no move to fight. Bobby would be back in a moment with Jason, and Demon Cas had no desire to piss Bobby off by starting something right now. He wanted to go to Purgatory very badly. He could figure out a way to get to Gail when he got back. If Sam tried to keep her from him then, that would be the last action Sam would ever take.

Bobby returned a moment later, leading Jason by the arm. Jason's hands were cuffed, and his legs were in shackles. Bobby led him to the chair at the end of the table and plunked him down in it.

Sam was still standing by Cas, and he walked over to where Jason sat. He wound up and punched Jason in the face. "That was for Gail," he told Jason. Then Sam went back to the counter to retrieve the coffee mugs, grinning. That had hurt his hand, but it had been extremely satisfying.

Dean got up then, and he punched Jason in the face too. "That's for my hand," he said. "Oh, and for Gail, too."

Cas was smirking. He may be angry at the Winchesters right now, especially Sam, but that had been sweet to watch. He glanced at Gail, who was also smiling. They made eye contact, and Cas felt sorry that he had said what he had said to her. He wished he could apologize, but he didn't want to seem weak in front of Jason.

Jason was working his jaw as Dean sat back down, looking very pleased with himself. Gail turned to him. "Good to know what your priorities are," she quipped. Dean shrugged, smiling at her. They both knew that it was really the other way around. Dean had just put a little levity into her morning, and Gail appreciated that.

"All right, everybody, settle down," Bobby said in his sternest voice. He sat down in a chair he'd drawn up next to Jason, so he could keep an eye on Jason and on everyone else. Bobby was well aware of the animosity in the room towards the prisoner, and he had allowed the boys their one free shot, but that was it. Bobby was in charge here, and he wasn't going to let the situation get out of hand.

Sam sat in the chair next to Cas, responding to Bobby's authoritative tone.

Jason had a dribble of blood coming out of his mouth as a result of the brothers' one-two combination, and he looked at Bobby defiantly. "So, you bring me down here to ask me for a favour, and this is the way I'm greeted?" Jason snarled.

"We're doing you the favour," Bobby said evenly. "You wanted to go to Purgatory. We're proposing a deal here. You give us what we want, and I'm willing to give you what you want. But if you try to double-cross us in any way, I've authorized Castiel to kill you."

Jason smirked. "Last I looked, he didn't need anyone's permission to kill. He'll just do it anyway."

Bobby looked at Cas, who was looking at Jason contemptuously. "Do I have your word you'll leave Jason there alive if he gives you what we want?" Bobby asked Cas.

Cas sat back in his chair. "My word? Sure, Bobby," he said, smiling slowly.

"He's lying," Jason said. "Demons lie. Everyone here knows that."

Sam and Dean were startled. Jason knew? Had Bobby told him?

Jason saw the looks on their faces. "I've known what he was for quite a while now," he said angrily. "Pity no one in Heaven would believe me. I warned her he was going to hurt her when she came to see me." He looked Cas in the eye. "Word will spread. You may still be a hero to most of the Angels, but it's only a matter of time before everyone knows. I don't know why you're bothering with this so-called cure. Soon, no one in Heaven will want anything to do with you."

"We weren't asking for your opinion," Gail said to Jason. What he was saying had hurt her badly, because she feared he was right. Cas had been ostracized in Heaven for centuries now, by guys like Jason, and Xavier. That was why she had been trying to keep his current situation quiet. If it got out, he would be hated there once again, and then where would they be? What if they were able to cure him, only to have him become Heaven's new Metatron?

Jason looked at her, and now he was smirking. "And how about you?" he sid to her. "I see your eyes. You're as bad as he is, now. Why don't you come to Purgatory with us? Then you'll both be among your own kind."

"If you don't shut up, I'm gonna take a poke at you myself," Bobby growled. "And I'm the one with the Godly powers." Jason sat back in his chair, fuming, but he shut his mouth for the moment. He couldn't take on God. But he couldn't believe that Bobby was standing up for the pair of them. Some example he was setting.

Bobby sighed. "Look, Jason, I get it. You don't like Castiel, and he doesn't like you. The question is, are you willing to work with him long enough to get us what we want, so that you can get what you want? If the answer is no, I can just take you back up to prison and you can rot there for eternity. It's no skin off my nose."

Jason glared at him for a moment, then he relented. He really did want to go to Purgatory. He could have so much fun there. And he guessed he could fight alongside Castiel for the short time it would take to get a vampire's fang. It's not as if they hadn't killed side by side before. And secretly, he thought it would be kind of interesting to see this Castiel at work there. He'd been a very efficient killing machine as an Angel, but as a Demon? Jason was looking forward to seeing that. Maybe he'd wind Castiel up even further when they got there by talking trash about Gail. That had always worked before. As long as Castiel didn't turn on him. If he did, Jason would just do them all a favour and kill him. He wasn't so sure that wasn't the best move, anyway. Just look at the guy; he was a maniac. Gail would be thanking him.

Bobby hadn't told Jason about the second request, thinking that was the prudent move. Jason would have laughed in his face. But Cas seemed fairly confident he could get Jason's tears somehow. Bobby would just have to trust that Cas could pull it off when the time came. And quite frankly, he didn't really care if Cas killed Jason afterwards. If that made Bobby a bad person, or a bad God, then so be it. The guy was a waste of space, and a dangerous one, at that.

"All right, Bobby, I'll do it," Jason told him.

Cas smiled. Jason was just arrogant enough to think that he could kill Cas. He obviously didn't remember how easily Cas had defeated him in the cabin. Oh, one of them was going to die in Purgatory, but it wasn't going to be Cas.

Bobby stood to release Jason from his shackles, but Cas said, "Wait." Bobby looked at him. What now?

Before letting the Demon have free rein, there was something that Cas wanted to get off his chest. "Can I talk to you for a moment?" Cas said to Bobby. "And Gail, can you come as well?"

Gail and Bobby exchanged glances. She shrugged. "OK, Cas," Bobby said. "Let's go into the kitchen." He looked at Sam and Dean. "Behave yourselves while we're gone," he told them. "Remember, I'm God. I can still see you."

They both looked at Bobby as innocently as they could. "We'll be generous hosts," Sam said, his mouth twitching.

Bobby's mouth started to twitch too, then he made it stop. "See that you are," he retorted. He didn't want Jason all banged up before he and Cas even got there.

He led the way to the kitchen, Cas and Gail trailing behind. They all sat down at the table. Cas looked at Gail, but he didn't try to take her hand this time. He was sure she wouldn't want to give it anyway, especially not after what he had to say. He took a deep breath.

"Bobby, I want you to hear my confession," Cas said shakily. "I've done a lot of horrible things recently, as you both know. But there's one thing that Gail doesn't know about, and I want her to hear it from me in case I don't make it back." Cas turned to look at her. "I killed Frank when you and Sam and Dean were at the seance. Chuck and Bobby tried to stop me, but it was too late."

Bobby stared at him incredulously. He and Chuck hadn't tried to stop Cas at all; the deed had already been done before either of them could react. Cas was actually being generous by telling her that.

But Gail was shaking her head slowly. Finally, Cas was owning up to what he had done. Then she guessed she could be honest, too. "I already know, Cas. Chuck let it slip before you got here this morning. That's why I was so mad at you when you got here."

Cas had mixed emotions about that. His first impulse had been to feel anger at Chuck for telling her. Was Chuck trying to poison her against him now, too? Should he consider Chuck another threat to his relationship with Gail? But mainly, he just felt guilty. He had killed Frank, and he had hidden this fact from Gail. Then, he had driven Frank away from the bunker with his reprehensible behaviour. He couldn't blame Gail for being angry. He should have owned up to it at the time, and taken the consequences.

"I'm sorry, Gail," Cas told her. "The guilt is all mine. And while I'm being honest, I have to tell you something else: I worry that even if you're able to cure me, I've damaged our relationship so badly now that things will never be good between us again. Maybe I should just stay in Purgatory, and let you get on with your life."

Gail didn't know what to say. In a way, he was right. She made herself look him in the eye. "I worry about that, too," she said quietly.

Bobby looked at the both of them. He was sad to see them like this, but he couldn't let them give up on each other now. "No amount of guilt can change the past," he told them, "and no amount of worrying can change the future."

Gail smiled sadly. Bobby was right. They would have to cross that bridge when they came to it. "Don't you give up on us," she told Cas. "Just don't." She touched his face and he put his hand over hers. He felt like crying. After everything he'd done, she was still touching his face. Telling him not to give up. Giving him comfort. And here he was, talking about deserting her.

"If you don't come back, I'll just kill Sam and Dean and have Bobby send us all there, just so we can kick your ass," Gail said, smiling through the tears that had welled up in her eyes.

Then Cas did start to cry, and they leaned forward together until their foreheads were touching. Gail sniffled back the tears, kissing him on the forehead. "We really have to buy stock in a tissue company," she joked. "We could have been millionaires by now." She sat back in her chair and looked at Bobby. "Sorry, Bobby. I know how much you hate it when we get like this," Gail said to him, smiling sadly.

Bobby's beard twitched. He blessed Gail for that; he'd been dangerously close to shedding a couple of tears of his own. He really hoped she'd be able to get her cure now. If anyone deserved a break, it was these two. He'd gladly put up with a bit of tween romance, if it meant that things could be how they used to be.

"Anything else, Cas?" Bobby sighed.

"Just one more thing," Cas told him, a ghost of a smile appearing on his lips. "You may want to avert your eyes for this."

"Why bother? You know I can see you anyway," Bobby retorted. He guessed he knew what was coming now.

Sure enough, Cas took both of Gail's hands in his and kissed her softly on the lips. "No matter what happens, always remember I love you. I'll come back if I can, Gail. I swear it."

"OK, let's go," Bobby said, standing up. This was getting maudlin now. Time to get the show on the road.

Cas and Gail stood, too. "Wish me luck," Cas said to her.

"You know I do," she answered. "And wish me luck, too."

"You?" His forehead wrinkled. "What do you mean?"

"It's time for us to multi-task," she told him. "While you're doing your thing, I'm going to do mine. I'm going to get Crowley to take me down and get those tears from Aurielle. Then, when you get back, we'll only have two more things to get."

Both Cas and Bobby frowned. Cas didn't want her going to Hell with Crowley, and neither did Bobby, though for slightly different reasons. Cas looked at Bobby, and Bobby gave him a slight nod. He'd be talking to her about that once Cas left.

Damn, Gail thought. She shouldn't have told them that. She should have just gone ahead and done it. She hadn't missed that little exchange between Cas and Bobby; she was standing right here, wasn't she? Well, if Bobby thought he was going to stop her, he was sorely mistaken.

Gail sat with Bobby and Chuck at the library table while Sam and Dean took Cas and Jason to the weapons room.

Dean still couldn't believe he was standing here with two of the unlikeliest allies he'd ever seen. And he was arming them.

Jason was staring at the collection of weapons in amazement. He couldn't believe the collection they had; there were a couple he had never even seen before. He and Cas started loading up. This was going to be fun.

Dean caught Jason's arm. "When you guys are done, we want those back," he said pointedly.

Jason smiled at him. "Oh, you'll get them back, don't worry." Yeah, they would. After they pried them out of Castiel's cold, dead body, that was.

"I don't want you going down to Hell alone with Crowley," Bobby was saying to Gail.

She regarded him coolly. "Why not?"

Chuck looked at her in amazement. "Why not?" he echoed. "He's the King of Hell, Gail! He's the supreme evil!"

Gail made a face. "Obviously, you've never met Lucifer," she said. "Crowley doesn't scare me, and I've been alone with him before, as I'm sure you already know," she said pointedly.

"Well, I don't like it," Bobby insisted. But he didn't exactly know if there would be anything he could do about it. He had Heaven to run, and he couldn't watch her 24/7. But she did have a point. He had found out about her little caper with Crowley at Oliver's place from Sam and Dean, and he also knew that Crowley had done nothing to harm her. In fact, he had helped her. Bobby couldn't figure the guy out. He had never known Crowley to do anything to help anyone without having an endgame in mind. But what was it?

Chuck was horrified. "Lucifer?" he asked Gail. "You've met Lucifer?" What the hell had she gotten herself into? Hanging around with Crowley, and now...Was Cas even worth saving, if this was going to be the company she was keeping?

Gail smiled wryly at Chuck. "We obviously didn't talk nearly long enough last night."

But now was not the time for conversation. The men were re-entering the library area. It was time to send Cas and Jason into Purgatory.

Bobby rose, and so did Gail, but Cas gave her a shake of his head. He was disconnecting now, letting the Demon take over, and he didn't want her anywhere near that guy. "I'll see you soon," he said to her.

Then the Demon took over, and Gail could see the expression on Cas's face change. How had she not noticed that before? Then again, she probably had; she had blinded herself about many things when it came to Cas's transformation. They said that love was blind; apparently, in her case, it was stupid, too.

Demon Cas was still looking at her. The last time he had been with Gail, he'd been denied his chance to play with her. Well, he would come back with her little ingredients, for all the good they were going to do her. He would never take the cure. He liked how he was now, and he knew she did, too. She was just putting on an act for her holy friends. But when he got her alone, it was always a different story. They'd be having some extended sessions when he got back, and if she was battered and bloody at the end of them, so what? He knew she liked that, too. And she would be in his debt.

Bobby walked over to Cas and Jason and put one hand on each of their foreheads. He wanted to impart some words of Godly wisdom, but he found he had nothing. "Good luck," he said, and he sent them on their way.

Gail sighed. It was done now, for better or for worse. The men all looked at each other uncomfortably.

"Well, I guess we'll go back now," Bobby said, breaking the silence. "Let me know as soon as you hear anything," he said to the brothers. "You, too," he advised Gail.

"Same goes for you," Sam said.

Chuck gave Gail a hug. "Everything will turn out all right. you'll see," he said to her.

"Is that the Prophet speaking?" she asked him lightly.

"No, just me," Chuck answered, tweaking her on the nose. "I'm rooting for you guys."

"Thanks, Chuck. You're a good friend," she told him, smiling.

"De nada." He released her and went to stand beside Bobby. "Later, guys," he said to Sam and Dean. Then he and Bobby disappeared.

Dean sat down at the table, shaking his head. Chuck. He still couldn't believe it.

"So, what now?" Sam said, moving to where Gail stood.

She shrugged. "I don't know, Sam. We just wait, I guess." But she wasn't going to just sit around and wait; that would kill her. And she had a job, as well. She just wasn't going to tell the brothers about it. Look at the reactions she had gotten from Bobby and Chuck. But Bobby hadn't shared her little confidence with Sam and Dean, or asked them to keep her here, so she took that as tacit approval. Or maybe he'd just had a lot on his mind. In any event, she was going to go right now, before anyone found out, or thought better of it and tried to prevent her.

"I'm going to go home and get cleaned up a bit," Gail told them. "Maybe give you guys a chance to catch up on your rest. I know you haven't had a break from us for a while." She looked pointedly at Dean. If he was getting more than 2 or 3 hours a night, she'd be shocked, and the poor guy was starting to look it. She was a lot to blame for that, too. He'd told her that she and Cas were driving him nuts. After this was all over, Gail would have to appeal to Bobby for another vacation for them all. The four of them could go somewhere together, re-establish their bond.

She looked up at Sam. If such a thing was even possible now. He worried her more than Dean. Sam was a gentle giant, but there was a stubborn quality to him not unlike her own. She didn't know if it would be possible for him to just forgive and forget. And he was still looking at her like he hoped that she would just give up on Cas.

Sam opened his arms, and Gail walked into them. She needed the comfort, but she'd better be careful. Gail could see Dean watching them, a strange look on his face.

Sam gave her a squeeze, and Gail realized that was the first time in a long time that anyone had given her a proper embrace without her wanting to scream. She was finally, truly healing. She hadn't realized how bad things had really gotten until they had started getting better. Now that she thought she was able to tell the difference, Gail would just have to make sure not to be alone with Demon Cas again.

But now, it was time for a get-together with a different Demon. Gail extricated herself from Sam's embrace and walked over to Dean, kissing him on the forehead. "Get some rest. I'll be back later," she said, then winked herself out of the bunker.

She went to the house and showered, then dressed, spending a few extra minutes in the mirror, combing her hair. Gail wanted to look as good as she could for Aurielle. She had the same idea Cas had had: She would go into Hell and tell Aurielle about her and Castiel's glorious nights, giving Aurielle as much detail as she possibly could. Then, to cap it all off, Gail would tell Aurielle that God Himself had married her and Castiel, and Aurielle would sure as hell never be putting that asunder. Aurielle should be crying like a baby after that. Piece of cake.

Gail appeared at the crossroads and thought Crowley's name.

"I haven't seen you for a while, sweetheart," he said, smiling. "What have you been up to?"

"Oh, just the usual. Talking to a dead witch, doing European heists. Everyday stuff," she quipped.

She told him about the mission she had in mind, and Crowley laughed. "My mother's given you the easiest one yet. All that one does is cry, I hear."

"Well, she'll be crying for me, one way or the other," Gail said slyly.

Crowley looked at her appreciatively. He liked her a lot better when she wasn't with Castiel, or at least, the Demon version of his Brother. That Castiel subjugated Gail, and held her back. When it was just her and Crowley, she seemed a lot bolder, more self-confident.

"Let's go, then," Crowley said. He took her hand and they descended into Hell.

Castiel and Jason had been in Purgatory for less than two hours and they had already killed countless beings. Purgatory would have a lot more room now, if Bobby suddenly became indecisive, Demon Cas thought sardonically. Both he and Jason were covered head to toe in blood now, and they'd been having so much fun slicing and dicing that they'd almost forgotten how much they hated each other.

Demon Cas was washing his face and his hands in the stream. His clothes, he could do nothing about, but Gail could wash them when he got back. Or he would just burn them, if they were too stained to clean. He might have to cut out a piece of cloth and save it for posterity once it had Jason's blood on it, though. She would probably want him to do that, too.

Jason began to wash himself also, casting surreptitious glances at his temporary ally. He had imagined that a Demon Castiel would be a fearsome warrior, but Jason had had no idea until he'd seen him in action. The guy was so vicious, so sadistic. Pity they weren't friends; Jason could get along with this guy just fine. He thought that Gail was crazy for wanting to cure him. But even Jason could see why she would want to. Castiel was scary like this, and Jason couldn't even imagine what it would be like to share a house and a bed with him when he was like this. Jason had just been trying to get under her skin when he had taunted her about Castiel using his blade on her, but apparently, it was true. When they'd been resting up between fights, Demon Cas had been bragging to Jason about all the things he had done to Gail; and apparently, not only had she let him, but she had liked it. He knew that Jason liked to torture people, but Demon Cas had given Jason some free advice: there was a lot of satisfaction to be had in other areas as well, and things were not always black and white. Then an amazing thing happened. Jason had actually felt nauseous about what Castiel had been describing. Jason was an evil and sadistic bastard; heartless, really. But when Demon Cas had almost fondly described entering Gail from behind and cutting her with his blade at the same time, his dark purple eyes shining, Jason felt sick to his stomach. He did love a good torture, it was true; but torture and love were supposed to be two separate and distinct things. Even Jason knew that you weren't supposed to do that to a woman you truly loved. And Gail was still with him, and still working on the cure. Either Gail was the stupidest and most depraved woman since Creation, or she was the most loyal and the most loving. Jason wasn't sure which. But in either case, she was nuts.

Crowley brought Gail to an interrogation room in Hell, where they sometimes questioned residents who had committed minor infractions. The King was a great believer in corporal punishment, but every once in a while, if the suspected offense was indeed minor, the individual in question would be brought here. There were just two chairs in the room, and nothing else. One for the interviewer, and one for the interviewee. And depending on the way the hapless soul answered the questions, the interrogator's next move would then be decided. He'd had Aurielle brought here, thinking it would be the perfect venue for a tete-a-tete.

He handed Gail a vial. "My advice to you? Don't fill it," he said to her.

Gail was puzzled. "Why not?"

"That's the one that counteracts Lust, isn't it?" he said, raising an eyebrow to her.

Gail smiled. "You know, I never realized how funny you are before," she said to him.

"No one does, sweetheart," Crowley said, smiling. "No one does. Come to my office when you're done." He turned and walked down the corridor.

Gail opened the door to the room and walked in. She saw Aurielle tied to a chair in the middle of the room.

"Well, isn't this an interesting sight," she said, walking towards Aurielle. She put the vial in her pants pocket and then sat down opposite her would-be rival. "Looks kind of familiar, too," Gail said to her. "Only, I like it far better this way."

"What do YOU want?" Aurielle said defiantly. She sure as hell wasn't crying at the moment, Gail thought. She was merely looking at Gail with pure hatred, as she always did.

Gail smiled. She was going to enjoy this. It was Aurielle and her stupid love potion that had caused all of this in the first place. And what had Gail ever done to Aurielle, anyway? They didn't even know each other. Just because Gail had been lucky enough to be the one to receive Castiel's love? Well, too bad. Jealousy was one thing, and so was envy; but Aurielle had screwed up Gail's life so badly now that she wasn't sure if things would ever be right again.

"Aren't you going to ask me how Castiel is?" Gail asked Aurielle.

Aurielle's brow wrinkled. "Is he still sick?"

Gail's blood started to boil. "Yes, he's still sick! And who do you think made him that way? You did!"

But Aurielle wasn't taking the bait. "No, I didn't. That was a love potion, nothing more."

Gail scoffed. "Oh, it was more. It was so much more."

"Well, that's not my fault!" Aurielle exclaimed. "I followed the instructions in the book, and Metatron helped me. If you're going to blame anyone, blame him."

Gail was really mad now. This woman had the nerve to sit there and act like she had done nothing wrong? "If there had been no potion then, there would be no disease now," she told Aurielle. "This is totally your fault." She sighed. She was getting nowhere. This woman was crazy. You couldn't reason with a crazy person, and logic wouldn't apply here. And all that Gail was doing now was making Aurielle even more defiant.

Gail sat back in her chair, looking Aurielle in the eye. "Still, it does have its benefits," she told Aurielle, smiling. "We spend hours in bed together these days. He just can't get enough."

Aurielle gasped. "Do you mean...sex?" she said in a hushed voice.

Gail smirked. Really? Was Aurielle really that naive? "Oh, not just sex; the most incredible sex you could ever imagine. His lips and tongue have been all over my body, and mine have been all over his. And he yells out my name all the time, and he tells me he loves me. That's because he does. And I'll tell you something else: he's fantastic. I would never have thought that someone who'd never been with a woman before he met me would be so skilled. He does things to me with his tongue, and with the rest of his body, that you wouldn't believe."

Now Aurielle looked like she was on the verge of tears. Finally. But there was still some defiance left in her. "Heaven teaches us it's wrong to do that kind of thing," she told Gail.

Gail was still smiling. "You're just saying that because he'll never do it to you," she told Aurielle.

"How do you know that?" Aurielle said, panicked. She was still crazy enough to hold out hope. If Castiel had visited Aurielle here once, perhaps he would do so again. And Aurielle could be even more forthcoming the next time. She wanted to feel his tongue on her body, and she'd give anything to hear him cry out her name.

"Because we're married, Aurielle. God Himself married us. I'm Castiel's wife, and he's my husband. And you know he would never violate our sacred vows. So, too bad for you. We'll be going on our honeymoon soon, and we'll send you a postcard. That's if we can get out of bed long enough to write it, of course. Once he gets me there, he likes to keep me there."

Aurielle was crying now. They were actually married? And God Himself had performed the ceremony? Well, that was it, then. It was all over for Aurielle now. She had been an Angel for too long, and even though she was a Demon now, she could never expect Castiel to break a sacred vow like that, and she didn't know if she could bring herself to try to make him. Not when their Father had performed the ceremony Himself. Castiel must truly love Gail, then. He would never have married her, otherwise. Aurielle had had visions of herself in a white gown and Castiel in a tuxedo, being married by God. But it was this awful woman that Castiel had married instead. Aurielle couldn't stand it.

Gail stood and pulled the vial out of her pants pocket, placing it underneath Aurielle's eyes to catch her tears. Aurielle tried to shrink back, wondering what Gail was doing, but she was tied too tightly to the chair and there was nothing she could do about it.

"What are you doing?" Aurielle gasped.

"What, this?" Gail looked at the vial, wiggling it in Aurielle's face. It was about three-quarters of the way full now and Gail smiled again, remembering what Crowley had said to her. And Gail tended to agree. She stopped up the vial and stashed it in her pocket. She'd gotten a little excited describing Cas's skills in the bedroom, and Gail had to acknowledge that she had no idea if they would even be able to continue what they were doing now once they had taken the cure. She really didn't want to have to sacrifice that aspect of their relationship, if she could help it. Maybe, if they decided they were actually married, God would allow them to continue. But that was nothing to contemplate now. First things first. Gail was pleased, though. Next to Bobby's blood, this was the easiest ingredient she'd ever gotten. She hoped Cas was having success in Purgatory.

Cas was doing all right. His Demon side had the run of the place now, and there hadn't been one entity that had even mounted a real challenge. Jason had been backing him up but mainly staying out of his way, leaving most of the kills for Cas.

They had finally come upon a group of vampires, and had dispatched them efficiently. Jason grabbed a large log from the forest floor and smashed the Aplha's jaw with it, and Cas pried the fang out of its mouth, stashing it in his jacket pocket.

Jason dropped the log, breathing heavily. "There," he said. "Done." He looked up at Cas. "What do you say we take another bath? She'd better not see you looking like that." He was grinning, though. Jason hadn't had this much fun in a long time. It was a shame he was going to have to lose such a great partner.

Cas looked at Jason, thinking the same thing. But there was still something that Jason owed him, and Cas was damn well going to get it before Jason had to die. And he thought he knew how to get it now.

Gail and Crowley were sitting on the couch in his office, having a drink. She felt like celebrating; it had been so easy making Aurielle cry, and so satisfying, too.

"Hit me again," she said to him, extending her glass.

Crowley poured her another, and he refreshed his own, as well. She had told him everything she'd said to Aurielle, and he had been both impressed and amused.

Gail showed him the vial. "Only three-quarters full," he remarked, raising an eyebrow. "I took your advice," she replied, smiling mischeviously. They both laughed.

Now they were talking about the cure. "Once Cas gets his two things, we'll only have two left to get," Gail told him. "I can see the finish line now."

"What does he have to get?" Crowley asked her, curious. She hadn't mentioned.

"A vampire's fang, for one thing," Gail told him, helping herself to some more whiskey from the decanter.

"Well, that should be no problem for you lot," he said to her.

"I don't think it will be, either," Gail agreed, "but the other one will be a lot more tricky." She told Crowley that Cas had to get tears from Jason, and he smirked at her.

"Jason? Tears?" Crowley said, shaking his head. "Well, you might as well abandon the cure and move in here with me right now, then." He was only half-joking. If there was anyone he could think of who was less likely to cry than Jason, it might only be himself. Or Lucifer, maybe.

Gail laughed shortly. "Hey, I may like you now, but I've always hated the heat," she quipped.

Crowley lifted an eyebrow. "Do my ears deceive me? Did you just say you like me?"

Gail thought for a moment. "I did, didn't I? Must be the alcohol talking." But she was still smiling.

"Well then, by all means, have some more," Crowley said, and he was smiling, too. He topped up her glass. She took another drink, but then her smile faded.

"No one gets you, do they?" Gail said to him. "I know, you're the King of Hell and all that, but you're really not that bad of a guy."

"Shh, you'll ruin my reputation," he teased.

"I'm serious," Gail said, taking another sip. "You've helped me so much, and I really do appreciate it."

Crowley frowned now. "Well, we need to get Castiel cured. If you insist on staying with him, he can't be allowed to continue to treat you as he's been doing."

"Amen to that," Gail replied, then she elbowed him, grinning. "Sorry."

Crowley laughed. He had never laughed as much in his entire existence as he had laughed when he was with her. "Are you sure you want to stay with him, though?" he asked her, his expression turning grim again. He felt like he was free to say what he really wanted to say to her now. There was nobody else around, and the alcohol was loosening both of their tongues. "He's treated you abominably. And Sam and Dean can barely even speak to him now, can they? Even if you do manage to cure him, do you think everything will just go back to normal?" he asked her softly.

Gail sighed. "No. You're right. Everything's so screwed up now. I don't know what we're going to do."

Crowley thought about that. What WERE they going to do? Even if they both took the cure and reverted to being Angels, Castiel would likely not be happy or comfortable going back to Heaven; he never had been, even before. But would he be as welcome at the bunker as he had been before, if he would be welcomed there at all? And if not, what would he do? Where would he go?

"Are you sure you really want the cure?" Crowley asked her.

"No," she said in a small voice. "Sometimes I'm not sure if I do, any more." Gail sighed a little as she reached for the decanter again. But then she pulled her hand back. Maybe she'd had enough. She was feeling dizzy now. "Crap. I think I'm drunk," she told Crowley.

"Why don't you lie down for a bit, then?" he said, rising from the couch. "I have some rounds to make. You just rest, and when you feel better, I'll take you back topside."

Gail was already lying down. "Yeah, maybe just for a few minutes," she said, closing her eyes. "Thanks."

Then she passed out, and Crowley continued to stand there, looking down at her. It was cute that she'd gotten drunk, he thought. And she'd obviously needed the rest. She'd been running herself ragged in her quest for the cure. He should just leave the office for a while and let her rest.

But he was a little worse for wear himself now, and the thoughts began to form in his head. She was too good for his Brother. Castiel didn't deserve her. He had been brutal to her as a Demon, and if they reverted to being Angels, they would be ostracized by their own kind, Crowley was sure of it. Gail was an Original, and she was special. She'd said she liked Crowley now, and she wasn't even sure if she wanted the cure any more. Maybe Crowley could help her to decide. When Castiel got back, he would no doubt bully her into doing whatever HE wanted to do, and then Crowley would lose her.

He took off his jacket and rolled up his sleeve, going into his desk drawer for the syringe. He tied off and withdrew his blood, then walked over to the couch and looked down at her again.

Crowley's head spun, both from the alcohol and from what he was contemplating. He couldn't do this to her. Sure, he could; he was the King of Hell, wasn't he? He had never professed to be anything else but what he was. He was a vile, horrible individual. Everybody said so. Even his own mother had abandoned him. But Gail had said that she liked him, and even though he suspected that the whiskey had had a great deal to do with that statement, she was the only person who had ever told him that. Ever.

On the other hand, he had to admit to himself that he liked her, too. Maybe he did want her for himself, as he had confessed that he did at the meeting between the five Originals at Lucifer's cage. At the time, he had told himself that he had just said that because they were accusing him of it anyway, and because he'd wanted to extradite the damn thing. But it could actually be the truth. It's not as if it was without precedent. When he had first pursued Gail over a year ago, he had viewed her as an asset to his Kingdom, nothing more. But then, she had been an ordinary human with some extraordinary powers, and though Crowley had cultivated her at the time, she had irrevocably been drawn to Castiel, who represented a force for Good. But now she was an Original, with prodigious, untapped powers, and she had enough Demon blood in her now courtesy of both Castiel and Crowley himself to admit her to the most exclusive wing of Hell. If Crowley were to dose her with just one more vial of his own blood, the blood bond they would share would be so strong that she might very well be driven to forsake Castiel for Crowley. Should he do it?

Castiel and Jason were washing up at the stream again, and Cas was thinking furiously. It was pretty much now or never. They had the vampire's fang now, and Jason would be looking to kill Cas and take off, any second. Cas was frankly surprised that he had not yet attempted it.

But the job was not yet done. Cas needed to get Jason to cry. And he'd had an idea.

"You still have some blood on your face," Castiel said to Jason.

Jason smirked. "So what? It's not like there won't be plenty more there soon." He stood and faced Cas, going for the Demon knife he had hidden at his hip, under his shirt.

Castiel nodded, unsurprised. He knew Jason very well. "One question," he said, removing his Angel blade from his jacket. "If you were just going to kill me anyway, why did you help me get the vampire's fang?"

"It wasn't about the fang," Jason told him, looking Castiel in the eye. "It was about the fight. I wanted to see you in action, and have one last session as partners. We used to be a good team."

"We were scum," Castiel told him, frowning. "We killed, and you tortured, and many times our actions were as reprehensible as the deaths were unnecessary."

"Oh, they were very necessary," Jason disagreed. "I've seen you, and I know you. Can you honestly tell me that you didn't enjoy what we did here today?"

"No, I can't," Cas said soberly. "But these are monsters. There's a difference."

"You can tell yourself whatever you need to," Jason scoffed. "I suffer from no such self-delusion."

"But there was a time when you suffered, wasn't there?" Cas said to him.

Jason was puzzled. "What do you mean?"

Castiel moved closer to Jason, knife at the ready. "What made you so bitter, so angry, that you are the way you are?"

Jason gripped his own knife tighter. "I don't know what you think you know, but I've always been this way," he shot back. "At least I'm honest enough to admit it."

"But you weren't always this way," Castiel insisted. "You simply repressed the memory because it was too painful to bear, and you've spent the rest of your existence taking that pain out on others."

Jason rolled his eyes. "You're crazy. So, are you just going to let me kill you, or are you at least going to put up a fight?"

Castiel smiled. "The second one, I think." He and Jason were circling each other now, each waiting for the other to make the first move.

Jason ran out of patience and lunged forward. Cas sidestepped him, slashing Jason in the side with his blade. Cas should conduct a class on how to protect one's flank, he thought with some amusement. And Gail and Jason should sit up front. But he'd better not think of her now. He had to concentrate. Jason was a vicious animal, and he was capable of snapping back at any time.

"I believe it's you who has gone soft," Castiel taunted Jason. "That'll happen when you've been in prison for a while. Believe me, I know. I actually let you live that night in my cell. But you weren't supposed to survive when we were at the cabin. I was interrupted that day. Now, we have all the time in the world."

Jason came at Cas, knife raised, but Cas sidestepped him again. "Unfortunately, I can't kill you yet," Castiel said conversationally. "Not while you're still of some use to me."

Jason was puzzled again. What was this lunatic raving about? He came for Castiel again, and this time Cas grabbed him and brought him closer, then he shoved Jason up against a tree. "You're on, Benny," Cas said, smiling.

What? Jason felt his arms being pulled roughly behind him, and he felt the cuffs click around his wrists. Then the Demon knife was pulled out of his hand.

Benny stepped out from behind Jason, smiling at Cas. "You were right, he has gone soft," Benny said to Castiel. Benny had a length of rope hidden behind the tree and he grabbed it now, shoving Jason against the tree again and tying him to it.

Cas stashed his blade in his pocket, grinning. "Thanks, Benny."

Benny finished securing Jason, and then he turned back to look at Cas. "How is my old friend Dean?"

Cas sighed a little. "He's fine, Benny. It's me that's not so good. That's why I'm here. I told you that, when we first spoke."

Benny frowned. "Yeah, you did. And I know that thing in your pocket ain't for the tooth fairy. I should be mad at you for killing one of mine, but since it was another Alpha, I'm willing to overlook it. I don't need the competition." He turned back to Jason, touching Jason's neck. "And if I turn this guy, he'll be the same damn thing."

Castiel shrugged. "It may not come to that. We'll see."

Jason's eyes were wide. What were they talking about? Who was this guy?

Benny leaned close to Jason and smiled, baring his fangs. Now Jason got it. "What the hell is this?" he said, alarmed.

Cas smiled. "Jason, meet Benny. He's an old friend."

Jason sneered at Benny. "A friend," she said sarcastically.

"Yes, he was an ally when Dean and I were here before," Cas said. "And when I incapacitated you an hour ago, Benny and I struck up a bargain. I told him if he helped me deal with you, I would owe him a favour."

"You incapacitated me?" Jason said incredulously. "What are you talking about?"

"Remember when I modified Ethan's memory at the prison?" Castiel approached Jason, smiling.

Crap. That must be why he didn't remember any of that, Jason thought. When they'd been fighting together, Castiel must have somehow put the whammy on him. They'd been in close proximity a number of times, and the fighting had been fast and furious.

"Lucky I saw you," Cas said to Benny.

The vampire nodded. He'd been on the way back to join his own group when he'd seen these two kill the Alpha. Cas had looked up to see Benny, but he wisely hadn't reacted to the sight of his old friend. Then, after he had pocketed the fang, Cas had touched Jason and momentarily incapacitated him. Jason had been unconscious when Cas and Benny had had their chat. Cas had given Benny a brief rundown on his current situation, and on why he and Jason were here.

Benny had known there was something up with Cas right away; all you had to do was look at his eyes, and at the expression on his face. The guy he'd known here before had been a fierce warrior, but he had also been an Angel. This guy was no Angel, that was for sure. He was mostly a Demon, but Benny recognized that there was a little bit of vampire in there, too. It had sickened him to hear what had happened to Cas, and Benny still felt an affinity for Dean, so he had agreed to help Cas with Jason.

So Cas had leaned down and put his hand on Jason's forehead, accessing Jason's memories. There had to be something in there, something he could use to obtain a few tears from Jason. He went back to Jason's childhood. Even in adolescence, Jason had been bitter and cruel, torturing insects and then small animals, then escalating further. His own parents had been afraid of him, and his schoolmates stayed well away from him. No help there.

Then Castiel went further back, and he found it. Just before Jason had hit his teens, his parents had sent him to summer camp. They hadn't known what else to do with him, and they had wanted to get rid of him for a while. He had not yet been the monster he would become later, but Jason's parents simply had never liked their son. Neither of them had wanted any children to begin with, and they had been disppointed when Jason's mother had become pregnant with him. But they had also both believed that the concept of abortion was wrong, and the damage had already been done.

So Jason had gone to camp, and that was where he had met Anne.

She was unlike any other girl he had met before. She was up for anything, had a wicked sense of humour, and she would tease Jason any time he was in a funk, eventually getting him to smile. Because they were so young, their time together was mostly innocent, though they'd ended up holding hands a lot. Castiel realized with a start that Anne looked a lot like the young girl that Gail would have been several years after her and Frank's parents had been killed. And when Castiel saw Anne and Jason holding hands, talking, and laughing, he drew the obvious parallels.

A couple of days before it had been time to go home, Jason and Anne shared their first kiss, the only kiss Jason would ever receive. They exchanged addresses and phone numbers, vowing to keep in touch.

And if Jason had been able to have and keep Anne in his life, things could have turned out quite differently for him, and for countless others. But the next day, Anne had slipped on the wet dock by the lake, hit her head, and died.

Jason went home devastated. He prayed to God, asking Him why, but of course, there had never been an answer. His parents hadn't known how to comfort him, and Jason had had no friends. So he grew up bitter, and brutal. And now he was an Angel. How could that be? He had simply slipped through the cracks. He had never killed a human being, only animals, and because he had been raised a Christian, Jason had flown under the radar and snuck through. But that was all right with him. He had been able to torture and kill plenty of people once he'd gotten to Heaven. Ironic, wasn't it?

So now that Castiel had the ammunition, he thought he had a way to make what he needed to happen, happen. He had turned to Benny and asked him to come down to the stream, waiting for Cas and Jason to show up, and Benny had agreed. Then Castiel had woken Jason up, and they'd gone to the stream to wash up. And that was where they were now.

Cas looked at Benny. "Can you babysit for a bit? I'll be back in a little while."

Benny shrugged. "Sure. I got nothin' better to do at the moment."

Jason glared at both of them. "I'm really going to enjoy killing you both."

Cas and Benny exchanged brief smiles. That wasn't going to be happening. "Well, you wanted to come to Purgatory," Cas said to Jason. "Aren't you having fun?"

"A former Angel and a vampire, teaming up. And they call ME disgusting," Jason spat out.

"Can you at least gag him, or something?" Benny said, rolling his eyes.

"I'll do better than that," Castiel said, stepping up to Jason. He put his palm on Jason's forhead and knocked him out, again. "There. Now you won't have to listen to him babbling."

Cas stepped back again, giving Jason one more look. He'd needed Jason unconscious, but Cas had also done that just to shut Jason up while he was away. The last thing he needed was Jason talking to Benny, telling Benny how bad Cas had become. Then, when Cas got back, Benny might take up arms and join Jason in killing Cas. The vampire had his standards, Cas had learned, and Benny had a soft spot for Dean. He might not want Cas around his friend, the way Cas was now.

"I'll be back," Cas told Benny, who nodded. Then Cas climbed up the embankment and, finding the narrow portal he knew to be there, he squeezed through it.

Crowley was still standing over Gail with the syringe, still debating with himself.

Suddenly, she jerked her head to the side. "No, don't, Cas, that hurts," Gail said. She had passed out, and now she was having a nightmare about Cas, giving her little nicks and cuts with his blade. She was asking him to stop, but he wouldn't. She tried to push him away, but she couldn't move. She suddenly realized he had her tied to the bed. She was crying, begging Cas to stop, but the cuts kept coming. "Please, Cas," she pleaded.

That decided Crowley. He moved forward and stuck the needle in the crook of her arm, slowly depressing the plunger.

"Ow! Cas!" More pain, this time in her arm. But this pain felt different. Cas was injecting her again! Gail's eyes flew open and she saw Crowley standing over her, injecting her.

Gail leaped off the couch, knocking the syringe away from her arm. "What the hell are you doing?" she yelled at Crowley.

"Trying to help you," he retorted. Damn. He'd been busted. But Crowley still felt like he had been doing the right thing.

"Help me?" she shouted incredulously. "How is that helping me?"

"Maybe it'll finally pry you away from that beast," Crowley snapped.

"You inject me while I'm unconscious and HE'S the beast?" Gail said, astonished. "Take me topside. Now."

Crowley continued to look at her. "I don't know what you were seeing in your dream, but it didn't sound good. And that's what you want to go back to?"

"No, that's what I'm working so hard to have NOT happen," she retorted. Gail was fuming. "You know, I thought you were all right. I even defended you to everyone, telling them you were helping me. And, you have. But now you go and pull something like that on me?"

Crowley supposed she had a point, though he would never admit it. But she would never have agreed to it voluntarily. "You realize it's just a matter of time before he kills you, or someone you love, don't you? He's already killed your brother."

He'd been going for the shock factor, but Crowley was dismayed when Gail said, "I know. I found out earlier. And I know you revived him, so I suppose I owe you my thanks for that."

Crowley shook his head. "Well, don't expect me to come riding to your rescue when he does it again."

"He won't," she said stubbornly. "He's going to be cured, and everything will be back to normal."

"Who are you trying to fool, sweetheart?" he asked her quietly. His gaze was penetrating.

"Take me back, now," Gail demanded, extending her hand.

Crowley continued to glare at her, but he took her hand, dropping the syringe. "Fine. It's your funeral. In a manner of speaking," he said sardonically.

He snapped them back to the crossroads, and Gail let go of his hand immediately. "Try that again, and I'll kill you myself," she told him angrily. Then she disappeared.

Crowley stood there for a minute. Her attitude didn't surprise him, or even bother him. It was what he had become accustomed to, and pretty much what he had expected. But she might be changing her tune soon. He wasn't certain, but Crowley believed that some of his blood might have made it in there before she'd batted the syringe away. Well, time would tell on that score.

He snapped himself back to Hell.

Gail went to the bunker, or at least, she tried to. She appeared outside, instead. Puzzled, she tried again, and then again. No dice. Then she got it. Obviously, some of Crowley's blood had gotten in there, and she was now in the same boat as Crowley and Cas. Damn him! Damn them both. Well, this was going to make things a lot more difficult, wasn't it?

Panicked, she pounded on the door. "Guys? Guys! It's me! Can you let me in, please?"

She continued to pound until her hand hurt, and just when she'd been about to give up, Sam yanked the door open.

"What are you doing out there, Gail?" he asked her curiously. "Why didn't you just come in?"

She had no choice; she had to tell him. "I couldn't get in, Sam."

"You couldn't - Why not?" Sam asked, his eyes narrowing. "You could, earlier today."

Gail sighed. "I know. Look, can you just invite me in, Sam? I'll tell you guys what happened. But I also have another item for the safe."

Sam frowned, but he said, "Come on in, Gail." He opened the door wider.

She was able to pass now because he'd extended the invitation, and they both walked down the stairs.

"Here," Gail said, reaching into the pocket of her pants and handing the vial to Dean. "Another safe item. Aurielle's tears," she added, somewhat unnecessarily.

Dean took the vial from her and examined it. "The thing's only three-quarters full. Did you catch her on a good day?"

"Never mind. It'll be enough," Gail snapped. Dean rose and looked down at her, one eyebrow raised. "I'm sorry, Dean," she apologized. "I've just had a bit of a traumatic experience."

Dean crossed to the safe and put the vial in it. Gail began to tell them the story, and by the time she finished, the brothers were infuriated.

"That's it, I'm killing him right now," Sam said, starting towards the hallway. He was going to go to the weapons room and get the biggest Demon knife he could find.

"No, Sam." Gail caught his arm and Sam looked at her hand, then looked at her. "Look, I know what you mean, and I told him if he tries anything like that again, I'll kill him myself. But, we might still need him. We haven't got all the ingredients yet."

Sam laughed sarcastically. "You and your ingredients. Who cares any more? It's not like any of us will want anything to do with him after he's cured, anyway."

That hurt Gail, and it scared her, too. Her worst fear was that he was right. "Don't say that, Sam," she said, anguished.

"Why not? I'm just saying what everybody is thinking," Sam retorted. "Elephant. Oh, and speaking of which...where's Frank?"

Gail was looking at him, puzzled. "What do you mean, 'where's Frank'? He's out on the road somewhere. How should I know where he is?"

"That's exactly my point, Gail. He should be here. It should be Cas that's gone. I hope he gets killed in Purgatory. It would be the best thing for all of us."

Sam was tall, but Gail was extremely motivated; she got up on tiptoes and slapped him across the face.

The room was silent as they all looked at each other, speechless. Gail had slapped Dean before, twice, but she had never hit Sam. He had just made her so angry, she hadn't been able to help herself.

Gail turned to Dean. "If that's the way you both feel, I'll just take the stuff you have in the safe and get out of your lives," she told him. "I'll finish the cure myself."

"That's not how we feel," Dean said uncomfortably. He looked at Sam. They'd talked about it when they were alone, and they had both admitted that they did feel that way, sometimes. But they'd agreed never to say that to Gail. Hadn't she been hurt enough? And if they couldn't complete the cure, or if it didn't work, she would need them. And they would owe it to Cas to help her, or at least to the Cas they used to know. And, to Frank.

"Sammy's just being a dick," Dean said. "Neither of us got enough sleep."

"I was afraid you were sleeping when I was trying to knock," Gail said to him. She tried to smile. "Then I would have been screwed."

"You could have just called us," Dean pointed out.

"You've got my cell phone, remember?" Gail said, tilting her head.

Right. Good point. "Go get Gail's cell phone, Sammy," Dean said, nudging him. "It's on my night table."

Sam gave Dean a look. He was rubbing his cheek where Gail had hit him, still looking shocked. Then he walked out of the room.

"I'm sorry, Dean," Gail said, wondering why she was apologizing to Dean when it was Sam who she'd hit. But Sam had hurt her too badly for her to apologize to him right now. She didn't even feel like looking at him now.

Dean knew that, of course, and that was why he had asked Sam to leave the room. "He shouldn't have said that to you," Dean told her. "I'll have a talk with him."

Gail sighed. "IS that how you guys feel?" she asked him. "Be honest, Dean."

He frowned. "Most of the time, no. It's just really hard for us to see him like that, Gail. We were like brothers once."

Her heart sank. He was talking past tense.

Sam came back into the room and held Gail's cell phone out to her. "Take it," he said shortly, not looking her in the eye.

She opened her mouth to apologize, but she still couldn't bring herslf to do it. Maybe she should just go home and cool off for a while.

"I'm going home. Please call me if you hear anything," Gail said, taking her phone from Sam's hand. Then she winked herself to the house.

Gail showered and changed clothes, then she went down to the living room. She sat on the couch, staring off into space. She was close to reaching her breaking point, and she was sure she did have some more of Crowley's blood in her now. She must; how else could her sudden inability to get into the bunker be explained? Not that she particularly wanted to be there right now, anyway. She'd generally gotten along with Sam and Dean throughout this whole thing, even though they'd frequently been mad at her for brief periods of time. But now, she was mad at them. If Cas was successful in Purgatory, they would only need two more ingredients. They were so close now. And now Sam and Dean wanted to give up? Did Sam really mean what he'd said about hoping Cas would die? That had been really harsh. Well, if he was thinking she'd run to him for comfort if something did happen to Cas, Sam was sorely mistaken. He'd be lucky if she even spoke to him from now on.

Cas suddenly appeared in the living room, startling her. His clothes were bloody, but his hands and face were clean. She stood, but stayed where she was. This looked like the Demon to her, and the dream she'd had in Crowley's office was still too fresh.

But Cas wasn't only the Demon at the moment: for a rarity, he was presently a combination of all three. He approached her slowly, seeing the wary look on her face.

"I called the bunker, but they told me you were here," Cas said to her. He put his hands gently on her waist.

Gail was studying his face. "What happened? Did you get them?" she asked him, hope rising in her chest. He was getting blood all over her fresh clothes now, but she'd take it if he told her he had been successful.

"One, but not the other. Yet. But I think we're on the verge of getting the other one. I'm here to enlist your help in obtaining it," he told her. But first, all three of him needed to kiss her, so he leaned down and did it.

Gail kissed him back, licking his lips with her tongue. She'd been so worried about him, and now that he was here, her Demon blood was heating up.

So was his, and he pushed open her mouth with his tongue. His hands went underneath her top, and she moved closer to him. He shouldn't be doing this; he had come here to get her to come back with him, nothing more. He had a mission to finish.

But she was being the aggressor now, unzipping his pants, and he wasn't exactly stopping her, was he? He wasn't crazy, after all. She was stroking him now, and he gave up any idea of resistance. He took her top off over her head, and she stepped out of her pants. Either she'd undone them herself, or he had. Who knew? Who cared?

"Lay down on the couch," he breathed.

She continued to stroke him. "Which way?" she asked, and her eyes were very dark now.

He wished she hadn't given him the choice, because the Demon came to the forefront now. He'd been denied the last time. "On your stomach," he said, smiling.

Gail nodded. She'd figured as much. But Crowley's blood was racing through her veins now, and she found herself looking forward to it. She lay on her stomach and raised herself up as he climbed on top of her.

"We don't have a lot of time," Cas said to her. He reached around and started to stroke her, and Demon Cas looked at her hungrily.

"Well, we'd better start, then," Gail said. She was already reacting to his touch, and her breath was becoming ragged.

The Demon grabbed her hip and thrust himself into her, and she made a sound that was half-pain, half-pleasure. Cas sped up his fingers. If the Demon was going to do this, Cas wanted her to achieve pleasure, too. Since the others were present, the Demon couldn't be as rough as he wanted to, but it still felt amazing. He pushed forward, moaning, and she started to whimper. "Go harder, Cas," she said, and the Demon smiled. His fingers dug into her hip and he got rougher, thrusting himself hard into her. It hurt, but Gail had her eyes closed, focusing on the counterbalance of how good his fingers were making her feel. She started to call out his name, burying her face into the cushions. She raised herself up to meet him with every push, and he felt the warm rush of pleasure spreading through his whole body. He groaned loudly, and with one final deep thrust, he was done. What a shame it had been so quick. She was just too good.

But now it was Cas's turn to take over. He let the Demon flip her around, and then Cas opened her legs and went to work on her with his tongue. She must be in pain from what had just happened, and now that the Demon had already had his way, Cas wanted to love her like she deserved.

Gail was in pain, but she had enjoyed it, too. She loved feeling him inside her, no matter where or how, and she loved hearing him moan with pleasure. Now it was her turn, and she was holding his head as she cried out. This was so good. There was no way she was giving this up. Screw the cure. Cas's tongue felt amazing on her, and in her, and if he was going to continue to make her feel this fantastic, he could do anything to her that he wanted.

Cas continued to lap at her, and he was smiling. She was pulling at his hair a bit in her excitement, but he didn't mind. The Demon actually liked it. He liked it when she was aggressive too; that made it even more exciting. Cas wasn't sure he agreed with that, although he knew by now that she liked it when he was a little aggressive. He slowed down the motion of his tongue, then sped up again, and she cried out once more.

"I love you," she breathed. "Come here."

He moved on top of her and brought his mouth down on hers. He entered her again at the same time, and her eyes widened in surprise. Even by these new standards they had, that had been quick. He'd usually needed a bit of a rest in-between. But he was thrusting into her eagerly again, and because she'd been ready, it felt fantastic. Their tongues were playing with each others', and they were looking into each other's eyes.

"I love you, Gail," Cas said. "I need to go faster. Is that OK?"

She smiled. "Go as fast as you want." She wrapped her legs around him and he groaned. He loved it when she did that. He felt like they were almost the same person when they were together like this. She was caressing his back and his shoulders, licking his neck and his ear. He slipped his hands under her body and pulled her forward, even closer to him. "I love you, Cas," she murmured in his ear, and he cried out her name, pushing himself harder into her. He held her there for a moment, closing his eyes, savouring the warm rush.

Then he opened his eyes and looked at her. She was smiling. "I didn't hurt you, did I?" Cas asked her, trying to catch his breath.

"Only in the good way," she replied mischeviously.

He kissed her face, again and again. "You're so good," he told her. "And you're so good to me." She moved underneath him, and he felt himself twitch. He could just stay here all day. Actually, they should move to the bed, where there was more room. He wanted to lick every inch of her, and he wanted her to do the same to him. And he could think of one place he'd like her mouth to go right now.

But then Castiel took over. That had been very nice, but they still had a mission to complete. He'd stayed in the background throughout most of his and Gail's exchange, but he had allowed himself to come to the forefront for just a munute or two, just so that he could experience the sensations the others were feeling. Now he could see what everyone had been talking about. When you loved someone, and they loved you, and you were able to feel so happy and make them feel the same way, why would you not want to do it? And he loved Gail. He always had. But he could sense that there was something wrong with her, something that had not been there when he had left for Purgatory. She had submitted to the Demon before, but today, it was almost like she had welcomed him eagerly, and the pain that went along with what his alter ego did to her.

"Let's go to the bedroom," Gail said. She was moving her body under his, encouraging him. She was gone now, riding the wave of pleasure that the dose of new blood had given her.

"As much as I'd like to do that, we have to go now," Castiel said, smiling gently. He started to rise, disengaging himself, easing out of her.

"Go? Go where?" she said softly. Her hand was caressing his thigh as he sat on the edge of the couch. She was exciting him again. He tried to concentrate.

"We need to get Bobby to send us back to Purgatory, to get Jason's tears," Castiel answered her.

Gail sat up. "Why?" she said.

He misunderstood the question. "Because you will have a role to play."

She was kissing and licking his ear now, and caressing his chest. "No. I mean, why bother about the cure?" she said. "You were right. We should just stay here and do this. I'll get on my knees for you." She began to stroke him. "I know you like that."

He did, but this wasn't her talking now, and he couldn't allow her to continue or he'd be all too easily persuaded. He made himself stand up, turning his back to her so that he couldn't see her. Castiel picked her clothes up and tossed them towards where she was, still not looking at her, and picked up his own. He remembered her unzipping his pants, but he had no recollection of how else they had gotten undressed. That must have been when the Demon had taken over. He put his pants on and did them back up, but with a little difficulty. He was still in an excited state, thinking about just giving in and taking her to the bedroom, watching her get down on her knees in front of him, and...no. They had a job to do. Once it was done, and once he had confronted her about what he suspected had gone on while he'd been gone, if she still wanted to, they could discuss it.

"Please get dressed, Gail," he said, sighing. "Please. I need your help to get Jason's tears. We can meet back here afterwards, and discuss it further."

Wow. He really meant it. She shrugged. They would always have later. And she was intrigued now. She really did want to see if they could make Jason cry; that would be extremely satisfying. So she put her clothes back on. They were a bit bloody from the transfer of blood from his when they'd first started out, but she supposed it didn't matter. In Purgatory, it was probably weird not to have blood on you.

Once she was dressed, she moved around to face Castiel, and now the Demon in her was receding as she thought about the prospect of going to Purgatory. She could spout all the bravado she wanted to when she was safely here or in the bunker, but she'd heard about that place, and it scared her.

She grabbed Castiel's hand, and he was happy to see that she seemed like herself again.

"I'm scared, Castiel," Gail said. She'd recognized who he was right now, so she might as well call him by the right name. Only Castiel would have had the ability to resist what she'd just been proposing. Though she'd had the feeling that it had been difficult for even him to turn down. She smiled inwardly at the thought. No matter which one of him came back with her here afterwards, they definitely had some unfinished business.

He squeezed her hand reassuringly. "Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you," he told her. Then he told her about Jason and Anne, and what he wanted Gail to do, and she nodded appreciatively at the idea. Castiel was right; this was probably their best and only shot to try to induce some kind of emotion out of Jason.

"Can you tell Bobby to come here?" she asked Castiel.

He looked at her, surprised. He'd thought they would meet Bobby at the bunker as they usually did. He was going to give the vampire's fang to Dean to put in the safe, and give him Benny's regards.

"I think I'd better stay away from the bunker for a bit," Gail said sheepishly. "I'll tell you about it later."

Castiel examined her face. Yes, there was something going on here, all right. Dean had sounded very strange when he'd called the bunker looking for Gail, only to be told that she was here. Dean hadn't said anything else, but Cas had known that something was off. He knew Dean very well, and he had heard a quality in Dean's voice.

But now was not the time for a protracted discussion. Cas took out his cell phone and punched in Bobby's number. He had been aware that Bobby had told the brothers to give it to Gail and not him, but he had snuck a look at Dean's phone and memorized it. Demon Cas had been amused. Did they really think he didn't have the brains to figure out something so simple?

The Demon retreated now. God was coming over, and Demon Cas wanted no part of him. The Demon was only going along with this because he very much wanted to see Jason cry, and then chop him into tiny little pieces after he did it. It was unfortunate that Gail would have to be there for that, but they needed her to try to elicit Jason's tears. Maybe Benny could keep her occupied for a bit while Demon Cas took care of business. Benny could protect her while that was going on. But he'd better not even think of interfering with her in any way. Her blood was not for him.

Bobby appeared a minute later. He glanced around the living room. Nice, if a little dusty, maybe, Bobby thought. Like Jody had, he noticed the pictures hung above the couch, and Bobby smiled inwardly. They would have to rescue those pictures before he burned the house down. He'd decided that this house had to go. After all of the terrible things that had happened here, Bobby almost felt like this house was cursed. The only question was, whether Cas and Gail would be in the house at the time. If the cure could not be achieved, or if it failed, Bobby planned to rain down holy fire on the place. It would rip his heart right out of his chest if he had to do it while they were in here, and it would kill Sam and Dean, but they couldn't be allowed to go on like this. He'd spoken to the boys a little while ago and they'd told him that Gail had come back from Hell with Aurielle's tears, and Gail's eyes had been so dark they were almost black. He'd warned her not to go and see Crowley alone. Even though Bobby couldn't have seen what had gone on in Hell, he had tuned in to these two just in time to see her try to persuade Cas to abandon the cure, and Bobby put two and two together. Somehow this time Cas had found the intestinal fortitude to resist her, even though she had put a hell of a deal on the table. And if that wasn't like Crowley, Bobby didn't know what was. The King of Hell had dosed her again when she'd been alone with him; Bobby was sure of it. If Cas had given in, Bobby had made up his mind to just come here and end the couple right then and there. But when Cas turned his back on her and insisted on proceeding with the cure, Bobby realized that there was still hope for the two of them. He'd thought that Cas was a lost cause, but apparently, Cas was even more of a warrior than Bobby had given him credit for.

So he sent them both to Purgatory, praying that they would succeed. Then he pocketed the vampire fang that Cas had given him and winked himself to the bunker.

Castiel and Gail appeared where Cas had left Benny and Jason. Jason was still tied to the tree and still unconscious, and Benny was sitting nearby on a log, using a knife to whittle, passing the time.

Benny rose as the couple approached him.

"Benny, this is the Ang-" Castiel began to say, and then he realized his mistake. "This is Gail."

Gail made a face. He'd been about to introduce her as an Angel. Well, it had been a while since she'd been one of those, and now she was even less of one. She extended her hand to Benny. "Any friend of Dean's is a friend of mine."

Benny took her hand and smiled. Gail's eyes widened. Benny was a vampire! Castiel hadn't told her that little fact, merely saying that Benny was an ally, and he had been a friend to Cas and Dean when they'd been here. She was in Purgatory, shaking a vampire's hand so she could help a Demon make an Angel cry. Did it get any weirder than this? Frank would have a stroke if he could see her now.

"I'm pleased to make your aquaintance," Benny said formally. But he'd seen her expression, and he let go of her hand immediately. "You have nothing to fear from me, Gail. I'm here to help," he said.

"I'm sorry, Benny. I've just never met a - what's the politically correct term? Dentally challenged individual?" she quipped nervously.

Benny threw his head back and laughed.

But Castiel frowned. He'd appreciated her humour as well, but this was not the time or place to laugh out loud.

Benny saw his look, and his expression turned sober. "Sorry, Cas." Both men looked around quickly, but the forest remained quiet for the time being. Good. The last thing they needed was to attract attention.

"We'd better get to it," Castiel said briskly. He put his hand on Gail's shoulder. "We'll post ourselves on either side of you, make sure you're not disturbed," he told her. "Just like we talked about." He smiled grimly, grabbing her hand and giving it a brief squeeze.

Gail gave him a thin smile in return. Benny gave her a thumbs-up and moved into position on the left side of the clearing's perimeter. Then Castiel moved to stand behind Jason and he put his hand on Jason's forehead, waking him. Then Cas retreated, positioning himself opposite Benny. If any creatures came along, he and Benny would dispatch them quietly, leaving Gail to do what she needed to do.

She approached Jason slowly. He was looking at her suspiciously. "So he's brought you here, after all," Jason said contemptuously. "Well, good luck, Gail. You're going to need it."

Gail smiled sadly. "It's OK, Jason. Now that we're alone, you can call me by my true name."

Jason sneered. "What? Demon?"

"No," she replied softly. She moved closer, until she was standing right in front of him. "You know who I really am, Jason. You've always known."

Jason was puzzled. "What are you talking about?"

"Our Father is a loving God, but He's also a big believer in punishment," Gail said to him. "He sent me to you to test you, and when you failed His test, he sent me to you again, under a different identity." She made herself reach out to Jason and touch his face. "Don't you recognize me, Muffin?"

Jason's eyes widened. Muffin? No one had ever called him that before. Wait: one person had, but that was many years ago. He used to wake up early every day at camp, running to the dining hall to see if the cook had baked fresh muffins that day. They were his favourite, and if there were some, he would grab one and hold it in his mouth, then stuff his pockets with others, to save for later. They were only supposed to have one each, but he loved them so much he couldn't help himself. She used to tease him about that all the time. And that was how her nickname for him had come about, though she'd only used it when the two of them were alone, so as not to embarrass him in front of the other boys. No one else knew about that. No one.

"Anne?" Jason said hesitantly.

"It's me," Gail said, smiling. "How are you, Muffin?"

Jason frowned. "Not so well." But he was still confused. "But...you're Gail."

She removed her hand from his face. "I am, now. But yes, Jason, it's me. Our Father let me die because He wanted to see what you would do, how you would conduct your life from that day forward. But you let Him down, Jason."

"Well, what did He expect?" Jason said angrily. "You were the only friend I ever had, and He took you from me."

"He expected you to live your life decently," Gail said mildly. "And when you didn't, God brought me back in this form and with this name and He gave me to your enemy, to punish you for that."

Jason felt sick, but he was still angry. "Well, isn't that just great," he said sarcastically. "But what would it have mattered how I lived my life? You were already gone, weren't you?"

"Yes, but our Father told me He was going to bring me back for you, as a reward for having lived your life as a good man." Gail lowered her head, looking sad. "But that didn't happen. We could have been reunited, Muffin, if you'd only held onto your faith just a bit longer."

"So, what: He gave you a different name and sent you to Heaven to be Castiel's mate to teach me a lesson?" Jason said bitterly. "And now I suppose He's made you a Demon so you can torment me some more?"

"He didn't make me a Demon, Jason," Gail said, looking him in the eyes. "You did."

He was shocked. What did she mean by that?

Gail told him everything. How, by helping to force Aurielle's potion down Castiel's throat, Jason had helped to create the monster that Castiel was now. And, because he was what he was, Castiel had injected Anne/Gail with his diseased blood, and then Crowley had gotten in on the act, making her what she was now.

"So you only have yourself to blame for what I am now," Gail concluded. "And now, I can no longer be saved." Now real tears started to form in her eyes. This was hitting awfully close to home for her. She hoped, like everything else she had said to Jason, that that last part was a lie, too.

"And I saved you from Castiel's blade that night in his cell, remember?" Gail went on to say. "I was with him, but I still had feelings for you. I wanted to tell you who I really was, but our Father wouldn't permit it. So I had to remain silent, and I had to endure your cruelty and your contempt. And your torture. You hurt me so badly, Muffin." She was crying for real now. That last part was so reflective of her and Cas that she felt like she was no longer just playing a part. She touched Jason's his face again, and this time, it could be Castiel's face that she was touching. "Why did you want to hurt me like that? I cared about you, and now I'm condemned for eternity." Now Gail was weeping. She was telling Jason the truth now, about herself and Cas.

Jason was horrified, and he could feel the lump forming in his throat. He wished he weren't tied up; he wanted to take Anne's hand, maybe give her a hug.

"I'm sorry, Anne. I didn't know it was you. If only I'd known," Jason said softly. His eyes blurred, and the tears began to spill down his cheeks.

Gail removed her hand from his face and took the vial out of her pants pocket, gathering up his tears in it. Jason's mouth dropped open, and he stopped crying immediately. Crap, Gail thought. But she had had to move quickly; otherwise, she might not have gotten any at all. Gail looked at the vial, capping it as she did so. Only half full. Well, it would have to be good enough. Rowena had not mentioned anything about quantity. Hopefully it was the same situation as Aurielle's tears, though Gail could have filled several vials of those, if she'd wanted to. Rowena had said that Aurielle's tears represented Chastity; well, maybe Gail didn't want Cas to be chaste, not entirely, anyway. Didn't she deserve some kind of a reward for all she'd undergone in her pursuit of the cure? So maybe they could only do things with each other a few times a week, instead of multiple times per session. So what? It would be better than not being able to be with him that way at all. And Jason's tears were supposed to represent Liberality over Greed. Well, they had never been greedy anyway; as Angels, what did they have to be greedy about? Their needs were very minimal. So Gail wasn't too worried about it. As long as she'd gotten a few of Jason's tears, she was sure the potion would turn out fine.

She stepped quickly away from Jason, putting the vial back in her pocket. He was tied up and he could do nothing to harm her, she knew, but the expression on his face was fearsome now. Jason realized he'd been had. He didn't know how, and he didn't know why, but he knew. "You're not Anne, are you?" Jason snarled.

"Nope," Gail said, smiling at him. Now that her hands were free, she wiped her own tears away. That had been a little too real for a moment there. But she was happy now. "You can come back now, guys," she said, raising her voice.

Castiel came first, rushing to her side. "Are you all right?" he asked her. He led her away from Jason, not liking the look of hatred he saw on Jason's face.

Gail nodded. "I'm fine, Cas. I got them." She noticed there was fresh blood on him, and she reached up out of reflex to touch his face and wipe it from his cheek. To think, she had just touched Jason's clean face like this, and it had sickened her. Now here was Cas, all bloody, and all she felt when she touched his face was love, mixed with a great deal of sorrow. What she'd just said to Jason was weighing on her mind. She'd been speaking to the wrong person.

"You broke my heart," she blurted out. "But I still love you with all the pieces."

Cas felt a stab to the gut. No one and nothing had been able to hurt him here in Purgatory, until now. "Are you sure you weren't instructed to get my tears, too?" he said softly.

"I wouldn't mind seeing that at some point, actually," she said dryly. "But right now, you'd better stay the tough guy. We still need to get out of here alive."

Castiel squared his shoulders. She was right. He could allow himself to feel whatever he needed to feel once they got back.

Benny was standing beside Jason, smirking at him. He hadn't wanted to intrude on Cas and Gail's private moment, but he knew that they would want to get out of here now that they'd gotten what they came here for. And they should. Purgatory was no place for either one of them, dark eyes or not. Benny could tell that there were good people inside of them. Good people, who bad things had happened to.

Castiel took Gail's hand and they started to walk towards Benny, who met them halfway. Cas extended his hand to Benny to shake. "Thanks for your help," Cas said to him. Benny shrugged. "No problem. Glad to do it. Say hello to Dean for me."

"We will," Cas assured him.

Benny jerked his head back at Jason. "And him?"

"Do whatever you want," Cas said coolly. "He wanted to come here."

Benny started to smile. Just because Cas was mainly good didn't mean he didn't have an edge to him. But Jason was a bad guy, and he'd been the architect of his own fate when he'd chosen sadism and torture as his path.

"Thanks, Benny," Gail said in a small voice. She knew he'd helped them, but seeing him bare his teeth to smile had been creepy, nonetheless.

After one more nod of the head to Benny, Castiel led Gail to the embankment. He boosted her up, then followed and reclaimed her hand. They squeezed through the portal and looked back once more to see Benny looking at Jason, still smiling.

Once safely back on Earth, Gail let out the breath she'd been holding. She'd been convinced that they were going to be attacked by a horde of monsters just before they had a chance to get out of there. That was just the way their lives always seemed to go. But they'd caught a break this time, and she was grateful for that.

"I have to get cleaned up, then we'll go to the bunker and bring them the vial," Cas said to Gail.

"Yeah, I should change, too." Gail agreed. "Let's go home."

But Cas frowned, looking troubled. "No. You go. I'll go to the apartment in Vancouver and clean up there. And don't look at me like that. I want to come back with you, but so does the Demon."

Gail was surprised. "What about a little while ago?" she asked him. "Things were fine, then." She smiled, moving closer to him. "More than fine, as I recall." She was so close to him now that their bodies were touching. "I still owe you," she said, putting her arms around his waist. It was strange. In Purgatory, she'd been heartbroken; now that they were back, she was reverting to Demon form. Or maybe she was just so glad to still be alive that she wanted to celebrate. Were Demons schizophrenic?

His arms encircled her, and he leaned down to kiss her. He was asking for trouble, he knew, but Cas needed his kiss. She had been so amazing in Purgatory. He had been patrolling the perimeter of the woods, but Cas had heard part of her exchange with Jason, and Gail had done a fantastic job with his enemy. No wonder he had brought her there. Castiel had figured that if Gail could somehow convince Jason that she was his Anne, she might be able to use her doe eyes to bring the emotion out in him. They had always worked on Castiel, anyway. But she had gone above and beyond, even to the point of crying real tears. Maybe she should have been an actor on that Supernatural show, Cas had thought with amusement. But it wasn't until she'd said what she'd said to him afterwards that he'd started to think that she hadn't been acting at all. That hadn't been Jason she had been talking to; it was Cas. And he had felt ashamed.

But she was still willing to kiss him, apparently, and do more than that. All he had to do was touch her, and they could have a very pleasurable couple of hours before they went to Sam and Dean's. But she was being suspiciously aggressive, and her eyes were too dark. They'd be talking about that when they got to the bunker. The three of them knew something that Cas didn't, and though he feared he knew what it was, he needed confirmation.

Gail had been the one in their relationship to fight for so long, but now it was her who was wavering. Castiel had vowed that he would take up the fight, and he meant to keep that vow. He had backslid a few times, though, and as long as the Demon wasn't allowed to hurt her, Cas didn't mind a little sliding. They were much, much closer to the cure now, and he meant to see it all the way through. It would take all the strength he had when it came time to actually take the cure, though. The Demon was going to fight him tooth and nail. Cas would have to have Sam and Dean strap him down in the chair and force-feed it to him, and they would probably have to do the same thing to Gail, especially now. But Cas had successfully fought off the Demon in Purgatory. The Demon had wanted to take over and chop Jason into pieces, and take his time about it. And while neither Cas nor Castiel thought that would necessarily be a bad thing, they were not going to allow that to happen with Gail there. She was the priority, and she had to be kept safe. The longer they stayed in Purgatory, the more potential there was for attack, and once they'd gotten what they needed, Castiel got her out of there.

But the Demon was extremely angry that he'd been denied the supreme pleasure of taking Jason apart, and he was struggling to get out now. They owed him, and he wanted to go home with Gail and take out some of his unrealized aggressions on her. And God only knew what she would allow him to do to her, in her current condition.

Castiel was kissing her now, though, and Gail was happy that it was him. He was keeping the kiss chaste, but she wanted more, and she opened her mouth. Castiel sighed, slipping his tongue into her mouth to look for hers. He couldn't help himself. This type of kissing was so much more intimate, and it felt so good. But it led to other things, and he should not be doing it.

His hands went under her top, as if all by themselves. Gail was stroking him through his pants now, telling him what she'd like to do to him if he would only come home with her, and what she would like him to do to her.

His resolve broke, and he grabbed her hand and winked them to the bedroom of their house. Gail sat down on the edge of the bed and unzipped Cas's pants, taking him in her mouth immediately. He closed his eyes and smiled. She was making him feel amazing. In a moment, he would reciprocate, and then he would pack some clothes and take them to the apartment in Vancouver. It was OK for Cas to be here with her, but if he felt the Demon taking over, it would be time to go.

Cas began to move, and she was moving with him. He started to thrust forward, and he put his hands on her head. The Demon wanted him to grab her by the hair and pull her forward, but Cas didn't do it because he knew it would make her gag. He was pushing hard now, but she was taking him, and he started to moan with pleasure. Then she stopped, teasing him with her tongue, and he did grab her head then. "Relax, Cas," she murmured. "It'll be worth it." So he let her tease him for another minute, and when she resumed, his hands flew off her head as he thrust forward again, as hard as he could. If he brought her head forward now, as the Demon wanted to do, she would choke. But it was fantastic. He felt the warmth spread through his body as he cried out her name.

Gail stayed there for a few minutes afterwards, kissing and licking him there, and Cas looked down at her lovingly. But he'd better hurry now; he was losing possession of his own body. So he was the one to get down on his knees, and he gently pushed her legs open, kissing and licking her. She laid down and gave herself over to the feeling, raising herself up to meet his tongue. "Cas," she pleaded. The Demon was teasing her now, wanting to hear her beg him, but she grabbed the back of his head and pulled him forward, and Cas was glad she'd done that. He was the one on his knees, not her, and if anybody should be begging, it should be him. He was lucky to even be able to be here with her after everything he had done.

He made love to her with his tongue, and she cried out. But the Demon was biding his time now. He was going to wait until she was done, and then he was going to get his blade from his jacket and take over.

Cas wanted to stay where he was, continuing to make her happy, but he knew he was running out of time. He reached for her, lifting her body up so that he could kiss her on the mouth one final time. "I love you," he told her. "That's why I have to go, now."

He got up off the floor and grabbed his clothes, not bothering to take the time to dress. He looked at her one more time and said, "Go to the bunker. I'll meet you there, when I'm safe again." Then he winked out of the house.

Gail sat there, stunned. Wow. That had been abrupt. She'd thought that everything was OK, even though he had gotten rough there for a moment. But she supposed he knew best, and she appreciated him wanting to keep her safe from the Demon. Too bad no one was around to keep him safe from her. They'd be continuing this later on.

But in the meantime, she may as well bring the vial to the bunker and await his arrival there. So she showered, put fresh clothes on, and called Dean to get the invitation.

They were sitting around the library table, waiting for Cas to call, but no one was speaking, or even looking at each other. When Gail had first arrived, she had given Dean the vial with Jason's tears in it and he had locked it in the safe. Then she took her usual seat and the three of them were sitting there together, but the tension in the room was thick.

After Gail had left a while back, Dean had admonished Sam for being so harsh with her, but Sam had been unapologetic. She needed to hear the truth, he'd told his brother, and he'd needed to tell it to her. She couldn't keep going on like this, living in a dream world. Thinking that once the cure was obtained, IF it was even obtained, that things would just revert back to status quo. Well, Gail needed a wake-up call, and if no one else seemed to be willing to do that for her, Sam would. He cared about her that much.

Sam had just stopped himself short of saying that he loved her, and though Dean loved her too, they both knew that it was in different ways. Dean loved her like a sister, whereas Sam...well, Sam wanted to love her in the same way that Cas loved her, and Dean wanted to tell him that there was no way that was going to happen. It was Sammy who was living in the dream world there. Look at everything she had done to get Cas the damn cure. And even though the two of them appeared to be living apart these days and he had seen no fresh marks on her body, Dean was sure the couple were finding ways to be together. And if Gail was still willing to be with Cas after everything he had done to her, sticking up for him as she'd done with Sam, there was no way she would turn her back on Cas now. No way.

Gail was avoiding Sam's gaze, but she didn't particularly want to look at Dean, either. The only reason she was still here was because Cas said he was going to come. She'd thought of just winking out and going to the apartment in Vancouver, but she'd been a little afraid to. The way he'd left the house so suddenly suggested that the Demon had been taking him over, and she didn't want to be alone with the Demon. She'd learned her lesson on that score. And now that Cas seemed able to fight the Demon's influence, or at least seemed able to protect her from him, Gail would cooperate. Physical satisfaction was one thing; blood and pain was quite another.

So they sat, waiting for Cas to call, the brothers sipping from their beer bottles and Gail just staring off into space, wondering what the final two ingredients were going to be. Hoping that obtaining them wouldn't be too difficult. But she doubted that. She doubted that very much.

When Cas had left the house and winked into the apartment, the Demon took him over immediately, and the Demon was furious. He had so much pent-up aggression now that he couldn't stand it any more. He raced through the place, upending furniture, smashing things, and breaking anything he could get his hands on. Then he went to the bedroom, picked up the TV, and threw it on the floor. He looked around wildly, but there was nothing else to break; he'd pretty much destroyed it all. Then he sat on the bed, breathing heavily, as Cas tried to take himself back. Finally, he was able to break through, and he stared sadly at the broken TV on the floor. Cas remembered when he and Gail had bought it, using his poker winnings from the casino. They'd had to call Dean so he could tell Cas how to hook it up, but Dean had coached him through it, and Gail had been so excited to tell the brothers about her new job. They should have just stayed here, and lived out the rest of their existences. They'd been so happy here. They had both had jobs, and they had been starting to make new friends. And Gail had looked up to him then. He knew she still loved him now, but she had told him he'd broken her heart, and he knew he had. What kind of love was that?

He should just take his blade and stab himself with it. Better still, he should ask her to do it. She could stab him over and over again. It would be only fair; he'd pretty much been doing the same thing to her. He'd been doing that steadily since this whole mess began.

Cas got up and looked around the room, shaking his head. The Demon had trashed the place. He would have to clean it up as best he could, when he got back. He took a shower, dressed, and called the bunker to receive his invitation.

"I want to talk about the elephant," Cas said to the three of them.

Gail looked at him, startled. No greeting, no preliminaries, just straight to it. As soon as he had arrived, that had been the first thing out of his mouth, and he was looking at all three of them when he'd said it.

No one said anything. Which elephant was this, now? Lord knows they had a few between them, and they had been sitting here not talking about them for quite a while, waiting for the biggest elephant of all to get here.

But it wasn't Cas himself that he wanted to talk about now, it was Gail. He stood at the end of the table and asked them, "What went on here while I was in Purgatory? And don't say nothing, because I know better."

Sam was glaring at him. Why should they tell him anything? It was him who was the problem.

Cas looked at Gail. "Why are your eyes so dark?" he asked her. "They weren't that dark when I left."

Gail turned her head to the side, avoiding his gaze. She hadn't wanted to get into this with him. She knew he would freak out, just like Sam had. And though Gail was still angry at Crowley for having done it, she still felt like she needed Crowley.

"Crowley attacked her," Dean piped up. He was getting frustrated. If they were going to talk, he wanted to actually talk, for a change.

"He didn't 'attack' me," Gail protested. Thanks, Dean. Way to not provoke him.

But Cas wasn't freaking out, just frowning. He'd known; he'd just been waiting for one of them to tell him. He had been hoping it would be Gail, but to be fair, they hadn't been conversing much lately.

"But he injected you again," Castiel said sternly. "Correct?"

Gail looked at him sharply. How weird it was now that there were three separate personalities of his in the same body, and the more she was around him now, the more she could tell the difference.

She sighed. "He started to, but he didn't get very far," she told him. "I think a little did go in, though."

Cas's heart sank. No wonder she couldn't get in here by herself any more. No wonder she'd been so aggressive with him. "I'm going to kill him," he announced, almost calmly.

Sam had been looking at Cas, and he too started to recognize the cadence of Cas's speech, and the difference in his attitude. His jaw dropped. "Cas?" he said.

Cas looked at Sam. "Yes, Sam, it's me. Castiel and I are in charge at the moment," he said, smiling.

Sam and Dean looked at each other, puzzled. What did he mean by that?

Castiel saw their faces, and he was almost amused. He knew how puzzling this must be for them. He'd joked with Gail a while back about watching the movie about the woman with the split personalities, but that had gotten him to thinking. When he'd gone to Europe, Castiel had begun to go to work on himself, trying to discipline his mind. If he couldn't get rid of the Demon, maybe he could at least put It in a separate room. Castiel had been able to erect a wall in Sam's brain, when Sam had come out of Lucifer's cage, to keep the schizophrenia at bay. Maybe he could do something like that for himself. The Demon was still very hard for him to contain, but at least Castiel could hold him off long enough now to keep everyone safe. Or so he hoped.

But he didn't want to try to explain that to them now. He wanted to take action. "Dean, Sam, can you come with me to the crossroads? I think it's time to have that discussion with Crowley that's been years overdue," Cas said to them, smiling grimly.

Gail rose immediately and walked over to him, putting her hand on his arm. "No, you can't do that," she told him.

Cas frowned. "You're just saying that because of the blood bond," he told her.

Sam and Dean exchanged another glance. Blood bond? What the hell was that, and why did they have the feeling that these two had been keeping them in the dark about an awful lot of things?

Gail didn't know that much about the blood bond either, but she knew what Cas was getting at. And though it might also be true, she couldn't worry about that right now. "No, I'm not, Cas. I just think we need him."

The Demon started to push, and Cas was getting angry. "We don't need him. What you're saying is that YOU need him."

Dean didn't know what they were talking about, but he knew he didn't like the sound of that. "Somebody wanna tell me what the hell the two of you are talking about?" he said, irritated.

Castiel took over for a minute. "Originals are bonded when they share blood. The more blood that is shared, the stronger the bond. That is why Gail and I have not been able to stay apart for any appreciable length of time, and why she is drawn to Crowley now."

Sam looked at him, his mind racing. While sickening, that explained a lot. That was why Gail had kept going back to Cas; not because she liked the brutal way he'd been treating her, or even because she loved him. It was because of this mysterious bond thing that Cas was talking about. That made Sam feel a little better. But Cas was saying that she was also drawn to Crowley now because of it, and that scared Sam.

Sam stood. It was time to end Crowley, once and for all. He'd gladly team up with Cas right now to take care of the King of Hell, and then they could worry about what to do with Cas later. "Let's go," he said to Cas.

Dean stood, too. "Have you still got those weapons we gave you?" he asked Cas, eyebrows raised.

Cas made a face. "It's OK, Dean. It's me, now." Then he smiled. "You can have everything else back, but I insist on keeping the Demon knife. I believe my Brother and I have to have a little conversation. Payback, I believe it's called." He went into his pockets and started taking out the weapons, laying them on the table. "There," he told Dean. "That's everything." He held his arms out. "You can frisk me, if you want."

Dean considered it, then shook his head. He recognized his best friend now, and if that Demon asshat took over Cas's body, Dean and Sam could deal with him. "Nah," Dean said. "Just give me and Sam a minute to get armed, and we'll be right with you."

Gail was starting to panic. They really meant it. They were going to kill Crowley. But she couldn't let them do it. He was too important. But, WHY was he so important? Was she emotionally attached to Crowley now because of that blood bond thing? If so, maybe she should just let the men kill him. No good could come of something like that, she was sure. But Gail just knew there was more to it than that. We need him! her mind screamed. He can't be allowed to die now! She'd never had such a powerful intuition in her life.

Gail was clutching at Castiel now. "Please, you can't kill him, Cas. Please."

"It'll be all right, Gail," he assured her. "Once he's dead, the blood bond will be broken." He smiled thinly. "Another very good reason to do it."

"No, you don't understand," she said, raising her voice. "We need him."

"We don't need that guy for anything," Dean said, walking to Castiel's side. "He's been screwing with us for way too long. It's time for him to go."

"You stay here, Gail," Sam said, joining the other two men. "We'll be back in a bit."

"No!" She was frantic now. "You can't! Please! Listen to me!"

Castiel was looking at her sadly. He'd heard how powerful the blood bond was, but he'd had no idea. They were doing the right thing; he was sure of it. His Brother had played fast and loose with them over the years, and he was a menace. Once she was freed of the bond by Crowley's death, Gail would agree that they had acted appropriately.

"You guys know that I get these feelings sometimes, right?" Gail said, appealing to all three of them now. "Well, I'm getting one, right now. If you kill him, you'll undo everything we've done. We still need him for the cure."

Sam was shaking his head. "No, Gail, we don't need him. And YOU don't need him. Look what he's done to you. You can't even come here now, without one of us having to invite you! You should never have trusted him. That's it. He's done."

The brothers walked into the hall towards the weapons room as Gail watched helplessly. She had to do something.

"Please, Cas, don't do this," she begged him. But he was Castiel now, and he was adamant. "He cannot be allowed to live, Gail. We need to protect you from him, and then we will complete the cure so that you will be protected from me." He smiled sadly. "You will stay here until that happens. Sam and Dean will make sure that I will not hurt you." He was not unmindful of the irony; he was outraged that Crowley had been interfering with her, but had he not done it himself, twice? And she did need to be protected from him still. The Demon's first thought, upon hearing confirmation that she had received some more of Crowley's blood, had been to want to dose her again, with his own. If she was going to share a blood bond with anyone, it was going to be with him, and Crowley had been trying to tip the scales. Well, Crowley had screwed with them for the last time. After Crowley was dead, the only blood bond that would exist would be between Castiel and Gail. The way it should be.

Gail could see that she was getting nowhere, and she was running out of time. So she rolled the dice. She sent Crowley a message with her mind: "Sam and Dean and Castiel are coming for you, and they mean to kill you. Tell them you're going to meet them at the crossroads, but don't do it. Meet me outside the bunker, instead."

She looked at Castiel, but he showed no reaction. Hopefully, Crowley had been telling her the truth; that she could send private messages to the King of Hell with only her mind. And hopefully, he would do what she said. She had to save Crowley's life.

Sam and Dean came back out, and Dean called Crowley on his cell phone, telling him to meet them at the crossroads. They needed to speak with him, urgently.

Castiel kissed her on the forehead. "Stay here," he instructed her. "We'll be back when it's done." Then he grabbed one of Sam's arms and one of Dean's, and he winked them out of the bunker.

Gail waited for a second, then she sent another mental message to Crowley: "Come to the bunker, now." She winked outside, and he was already standing there.

"So they're really going there intending to kill me?" he asked her, one eyebrow raised. "I do believe my feelings are hurt. The question is, why?"

Gail raised her own eyebrow. All right, he thought. Fair enough. "OK, why right now?" he amended.

"They found out about your little stunt with the needle," she told him dryly. "And, like me, they weren't too amused."

He was unrepentant. "So, after all I've done to help, they're going to kill me. Well, why am I here, then? Why aren't you with them, sharpening your knife?"

"Because I need you," she replied. And it was true; she needed him for the cure. He still had an important role to play, she was sure of it. But that was all there was to it, right? Or was it? Surely she didn't mean that she needed him in her life? That she missed him when he wasn't around? That he had been the only one she had had any fun with in her recent memory? Oh God, she did have a blood bond with him. There were a couple of reasons now that she didn't want him to die.

"We have to hide you somewhere," Gail said to him. She reached out and took his hand, and he looked at her in surprise. "Somewhere they can't find you."

Crowley stared at her in amazement. She had the bond! And her hand felt very warm in his. He had always felt that Angels holding hands was a little ridiculous. If that was all you were able to do with each other, why even bother? But now he understood how affectionate a simple gesture like that could be. No one had ever just reached out and taken his hand like that. Not even his blessed mother.

"I'll just go back to Hell," he told her softly. "They can't come there."

"Castiel can," she pointed out to him, and he winced. Yes, his Brother probably could now, couldn't he? In his astonishment over Gail's behaviour, he had forgotten about that. But then he had an idea. There was one place he felt certain that Castiel would not think to look, and that he wouldn't be able to access alone. And Crowley wanted Gail with him there. Castiel's friends could carry on and cure him if they still wanted to, but Crowley did not want Gail cured. He was finally ready to admit it: Crowley wanted her for himself. It might take a while, but she would thank him for it in the end. He would never brutalize her the way Castiel had. His Brother had had her for a year now, and all she had ever experienced with him was pain and sorrow. Yes, Crowley himself had been behind some of what she had undergone, but it was Castiel that Crowley wanted to hurt now. Gail had just been collateral damage, suffering from her association with his Brother. She and Crowley could have a clean slate, a new beginning, now that they were bonded by blood.

He reached out and put his hand on her forehead, and Gail crumpled to the ground. He knelt down and touched her forehead again, modifying her memory. Then he snapped them both away from there.

Dean was fuming. They'd been waiting a while now, and it was becoming increasingly obvious that Crowley wasn't going to show.

"She tipped him off somehow," Dean said angrily. Then he looked at Cas, who looked alarmed. "Sorry, Cas."

But Castiel realized that Dean was probably right. She'd been so adamant that they should not kill him. She had claimed it was because they needed Crowley for the cure, but it was the blood bond that greatly concerned Castiel. Now Crowley wasn't coming, and they had left Gail alone, back at the bunker. Cas had left her there to protect her, but he had been stupid. She had the ability to go anywhere she chose, didn't she? Could she access Hell by herself now, perhaps?

"Sam, Dean, I'm going to send you back to the bunker. See if Gail is there. I'll wait for your report." He took his cell phone out of his pocket.

They nodded. Cas's concern was contagious. Whatever problems they had with him, Gail was the priority now.

Castiel gave them the push, and then he paced, waiting for their call. And sure enough, when Dean called, he advised that she was gone.

"What do we do now?" Dean said, running his hand through his hair in frustration. He realized they'd been stupid, too. In their eagerness to dispatch Crowley once and for all, they'd forgotten about what Gail might be capable of now. Her and her dark eyes. "Do you think she's stashed him somewhere?"

"Nowhere that I can't find them," Castiel said grimly. And he knew just where to look, too. His Brother was going to pay through the nose for this. Blood bond or no, Crowley was not going to have her. "I'll be in touch," he told Dean, and hung up.

Then he descended into Hell.

Crowley and Gail were actually in Hell at the moment, but Crowley had no intention of taking her anywhere that Castiel would be able to follow.

He put his hand on the scanner, confirming his identity, and the door to Lucifer's wing opened. Lucky there were a lot of nerds in Hell, Crowley thought sardonically. One of his minions had ingeniously rigged the panel the recognize Crowley's actual DNA strand. That way, if anyone sought to get clever, chopping off Crowley's hand to gain admittance, the door still would not open to them.

Then he leaned down and picked Gail up, carrying her over the threshhold like a groom would do with his bride. Perhaps one day, that would be an apt analogy. But he had tried to force the issue before, and that had not worked. This time, though, they were both Originals, and she had the bond. A year ago, his blood had influenced her, but it had not bonded her to him, and Castiel had been able to turn her head. This time, Crowley was the one who had the advantage. He would be sweet and kind to her, and she would fall in love with him. Crowley was going to take a leaf from Castiel's book and create a new persona for himself, one that would be only for Gail. Then, when she was fully his, he would integrate the two personalities, just as it seemed that Castiel had successfully done now. When he had modified her memory, Crowley had seen that she was thinking about that particular phenomenon. Somehow, it seemed that Castiel had been able to discipline his mind enough to channel all three of his personalities as needed, and presumably the Demon was no longer solely in control. Well, Crowley didn't have diseased blood, and he was fully capable of conducting himself properly, unlike his Brother. Crowley's strange sense of fair play made him leave Gail's memories of her friends intact, but he'd left only her negative recollections of Castiel. That way, if anything disastrous were to happen, she would not gravitate back towards his Brother this time; she would want to stay well away from him. Crowley might be fairly confident that Gail would be his in time, but he was no fool, either.

He carried her past Lucifer's cage, and the two occupants rose to their feet, astonished. What was Crowley doing? Lucifer started to grin. Was he bringing her in here?

But Crowley passed by the cage without acknowledging either of his Brothers, and he took her to a room near the end of the wing. The door swung open at his approach, and Crowley laid her down on the floor inside. Then he waved his arms, and the room was transformed into a tropical paradise.

Gail was lying on a chaise lounge now, and then he waved his hands over both of them. She was now wearing a sundress, and he was wearing an open-necked shirt and khaki pants. He'd never really been a shorts kind of guy. Crowley grinned at that thought.

One final touch. He conjured a table in-between their lounge chairs and put two cold drinks there, the kind that had some ice, and liberal amounts of alcohol. And colourful umbrellas, of course.

He touched her forehead once more, giving her another memory, and then he woke her. Crowley grabbed one of the drinks and sat down in the other lounge chair, watching her.

Gail stirred, and then she yawned and stretched. She looked around at their surroundings, seeming confused for a moment. Then she turned to look at Crowley. He held his breath, waiting for her to speak.

"Did I fall asleep?" she asked him. Then she smiled. "Sorry about that. Jet lag, I guess."

"I got you a nice, cold drink," Crowley said, handing the other glass to her. "I know how you dislike the heat."

Gail took the glass from him, then raised it to him in salute. "Thanks, Ian," she said, still smiling. "Cheers."

They clinked glasses, then sipped at their drinks. Gail looked around again. "I'm glad you suggested this," she said to Crowley. "It's just the break I needed."

"I thought you could use a vacation," he told her. "And don't worry, Cas doesn't know where you are." He studied her face as he said that. He wanted to see her reaction.

Gail frowned. "Good. He's just going to have to accept that he's hurt me for the last time." She shrugged, taking another sip of her drink. "His loss."

"Amen to that," Crowley said, smiling. "Let's just relax here for a while, and then we'll get dressed for dinner."

"Sounds good to me," Gail said. She took another couple of sips from her drink. It was very good, and Ian had been so nice to get it for her. He had been really sweet to her, throughout this whole mess with Cas. She did hope that Cas would be all right, though; after all, they'd had a history together. But she had washed her hands of him. He still had Sam and Dean. He would be just fine.

Cas raced around from room to room in Hell, looking for them. But they were nowhere to be found. His mind worked furiously. Where could his Brother have taken them? Castiel opened his mind wide, just as he had done on Earth, trying to receive their signal. Two Originals together should be splitting his head open. But there was nothing. Nothing at all. He had even relented and let the Demon take over, to torture a few higher-ranking Demons in hopes that they would know of or divulge the King's whereabouts, but to no avail. No one seemed to have any idea where the King was, and Demon Cas's interrogation had been very enthusiastic.

He visited every place that he and Gail had ever been to on Earth, grasping at straws. He even went to the house, on the off chance that she had been there and left him a note. But there had been no note, and her clothes were all still there. She had simply vanished.

There was nothing further he could do on his own, so Cas took out his cell phone and called Bobby, begging him to look for her. But Bobby couldn't see her anywhere, either. Where was she? What were they going to do? And what was Crowley going to do to her?

\- END OF BOOK 9. -


End file.
